


Promises

by sweetlolixo



Category: the GazettE
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Marriage/Divorce, M/M, in which Uru and Aoi are divorced but have a daughter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 16:10:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4883269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetlolixo/pseuds/sweetlolixo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“Daddy, I’m going to miss you until I see you again,” Reina’s pouting, gesturing for Kouyou to stoop down for her to be able to kiss his cheek. They’re right outside Yuu’s apartment now, and it’s almost cruel, how painful this is, coming back weekend after weekend, dropping Reina off at the raven’s apartment and parting with the only memory left of the Yuu he once knew. Because seven years ago, this was the place where Kouyou first met the love of his life, and seven years later, it’s not, anymore.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fic originally posted onto LiveJournal [here](http://sweetlolixo.livejournal.com/209107.html) on September 04, 2014.
> 
> This fic is written in a way that it's **present situation / their past / present situation / their past** , so don't get too confused!
> 
>  **Written to**[this song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9kq_HPXG0c) **,** give it a listen if you need some music to accompany this fic <3~

She looks just like him.  
  
And Kouyou can’t fight that, because each time she comes over, he sees Yuu all over again. From the way her childlike innocence gleams through her eyes; from the way her dark hair falls from her face; from the way she tucks it back behind her ear; from the way she sits with utmost precision; from the way she always speaks and eats carefully, with the right eating utensils; from the way she half-laughs when Kouyou does something her mummy usually wouldn’t approve of.  
  
“You’re not supposed to talk while you’re eating, Daddy, mummy says it’s uncouth to do so.” His daughter is looking up to him with those icy eyes again, those eyes that glew with a hint of mischief and radiated a sort of intelligence that Kouyou was only used to seeing in Yuu. He shouldn’t be too surprised, though; Reina spends the weekdays with Yuu and only the weekends with him, so Kouyou’s not too stunned to see his daughter become another replica of her, well,  _mother_. Yuu had even taken the liberties to dress Reina in a bedazzling, geo-patterned dress, one which price tags Kouyou recognises to be heftily from Barney’s, and it makes Kouyou sigh at the thought, knowing this was the exact opposite manner of how he and Yuu had always wanted to raise their child.  
  
“I know, honey, I know,” Kouyou says, a small smile on his lips, a hand reaching over to gently pat at his daughter’s head. With bangs the style of a china-doll’s, and shoulder length hair that has been properly salon blow-dried and combed, Reina looks the epitome of perfection, and Kouyou’s almost hesitant to caress past her hair further. “Since when did you learn the word ‘uncouth’, anyway? Aren’t you like, eight?”  
  
Reina looks up from her plate, chews thoughtfully on the food in her mouth, and swallows it quickly before replying. “I read a lot of books in school! I got full marks on my English test. My teacher gave me an A for that.” And the way she’s beaming, so pleased and proud with herself makes Kouyou chuckle to himself. Reina’s so intelligent and bright, Kouyou knew he never had a cause to worry about when he and Yuu first split. She never asked about it, never wondered why, never even protested when they came up with the arrangement of staying at Yuu’s on weekdays and at Kouyou’s on the weekends. And it makes Kouyou guilty, sometimes, because he knows Reina must have so many questions to ask, but they’ve brought her up to be so obedient and docile, and she’s been nothing but the perfect daughter to them so far.  
  
“Daddy, you should cook more, you know. I really like your cooking!” Reina smiles, saying as she pushes another spoon full of food past her lips. “Mummy rarely cooks. And when he does, the whole kitchen gets into a mess. Then he’ll make me clean the kitchen with him. It’s awful!”  
  
Kouyou’s softly smiling at the thought, recalling how Yuu always never did fare well in the kitchen. Yuu would always kick up a fuss over how it was no big deal, and that his food was edible anyway, but after a few times of humoring him Yuu finally relented and allowed Kouyou to take over. It wasn’t like it was anything bad; Yuu had grown up in a well-to-do household, had maids and chauffeurs always waiting on him, and when he’d come up with the decision to move into Kouyou’s apartment, Kouyou was the one who had taught him mostly how to be independent. It was like the fairytale no one had dreamed of; falling in love with a mere commoner, being carried off in his arms instead of being ridden off on a white horse, moving into his humble apartment instead of a huge expensive castle. Kouyou knows Yuu’s parents have never favored him, and he’d never blamed them for it – it was reasonable to do so, when Kouyou was just a mere florist, whose yearly pay paled in comparison to Yuu’s monthly allowance. But he made enough for them to live by, and when Yuu’s parents cut Yuu off financially, the raven had to find work nearby in a restaurant as a waiter, doing his best to scrimp and save with Kouyou to live by.  
  
Those times seemed like the best times of his life, now, thinking back on it. Kouyou remembers the many nights they would spend, just cuddling in bed in the darkness, excitedly talking about their future and the children they were going to have and the family they were going to raise. Even if the lights had gone out because they hadn’t enough money to pay for last month’s electricity. Even if they had just eaten pizza leftovers from last night as their dinner. Even if Yuu absolutely hated his job and moaned and whined about it constantly. Nothing ever felt more perfect than holding the raven in his arms and kissing him gently on the cheek and telling him everything would eventually work out fine.  
  
Nothing felt better than the raven laughing and kissing Kouyou back, delicate hands grabbing eagerly for Kouyou’s hair, sinful body pressing back against Kouyou’s.  
  
Nothing ever felt better than that.  
  
“Daddy?”  
  
Until Reina.  
  
Reina’s calling for him again, setting her eating utensils down as she starts wiping at her lips considerately with a clean napkin. “You keep spacing out. What are you thinking about, Daddy?”  
  
_Your mummy_ , Kouyou finds himself thinking, tightening his smile as he looks to his daughter. And he knows he’s miserable, but when he whispers for his daughter to “come here, honey” and waits for her to run into his arms, he’s holding her close to him and kissing the tip of her hair softly, breathing in her scent and basking in Yuu’s perfume from it. And just like this, just by holding their daughter close to his heart, Kouyou closes his eyes and hopes for a miracle to happen, for the perfect family he’d always wished to have to be here, and for Yuu to come back to him again.  
  
And suddenly, like this, listening to Reina’s heartbeat and taking in Yuu’s perfume, it’s almost as if Yuu had never left this apartment; it’s almost as if Yuu was still here, right next to him, laughing and joking and holding Kouyou’s very heart in his hand.  
  
And suddenly everything was all right again.  
  
~  
  
Kouyou wasn’t in charge of deliveries, but they’d been rather short staffed due to the holiday season and he needed Yune to man the shop. So when he’d received a request to deliver flowers to a penthouse belonging to an area of expensive apartments in the city, he’d conveniently grabbed his motorcycle and made his way there, astonished by the grandiose of it all once he entered onto apartment grounds. Considering the bouquet he’d just prepared to be delivered had cost a whopping five hundred bucks in total, Kouyou really shouldn’t be  _that_  surprised.  
  
But he still was – especially when he walked to the electronic lifts and had been greeted by automated pre-recorded voices coming from the lift’s buttons asking him which level he was to ascend to.  
  
But if that was  _any_  indication as to the gorgeousness that would greet him at apartment 801, it was a sore underestimation in comparison. Kouyou had rung the bell, holding the big, overflowing bouquet of flowers in hand, a sheepish grin on his face, not knowing what to expect, and when the door opened and he’d been welcomed by the irresistible sight of a stunning raven-haired, his jaw had fallen of its own accord. The man that greeted him was but a few inches shorter than him, but he had this delicate curve to his waist and slender hips that would otherwise be not  _so_  obvious if said man himself wasn’t  _only_  wearing an oversized white blouse, walking around blatantly in his home half-naked, with fair looking thighs barely covered by his top garment.  
  
He had messy bed hair flowing to his shoulders, and he seemed sorely frustrated at the sight of someone at his door. Leaning against his front door, the raven-haired hand brought a hand up to his mouth delicately as he yawned quietly to himself. Kouyou found himself speechless for a moment. Was it legal for people to walk around half-naked in their homes? It  _had_  to be illegal, right? Wait, was it even legal for someone so gorgeous to be answering doors like this? Could Kouyou sue him?  
  
And  _then_  Kouyou suddenly remembered he was on a delivery. A goddamn flower delivery, dammit.  
  
“Um, you’re Yuu, right?” Kouyou vaguely remembered seeing the recipient’s name as such in his records. Yuu. Why did the gorgeous man’s name flow so well off his tongue?  
  
“Yes. What?” Yuu had sighed then, asking, bringing his hand up once more to brush awkwardly at his hair. “I got woken up for this, so it better be worth my while.”  
  
All Kouyou had to do was pass the damn flowers and here his hands were, shaking as if his life depended on it. “Um, I’m here to deliver these flowers to you.” And then it occurred to him that Yuu’s boyfriend had probably ordered these flowers for him.  _Right_. Of course Yuu would be attached. And here Kouyou was, blushing like a little girl at the sight of his customer’s lover. God _dammit_  Kouyou.  
  
“Flowers?” Yuu asked, an eyebrow raised, his curiosity perked for a second. He’s grabbing for the flowers in an instant, breathing them in slowly, his lips curving into a smile at the scent. “They smell good. Who are they from?”  
  
“Um,”  _That_  he forgot. Kouyou quickly slid his hands back into the pocket of his pants and looked to the card. “A certain Mr. Akira–”  
  
Kouyou had the bouquet of flowers thrown back at his face in an instant, along with the sight of a scoffing Yuu with his arms folded. “I’m sorry, is there a problem or…”  
  
“Take these stupid flowers back, I’m going back to sleep. Good night.” The raven was almost ready to step back into his apartment, his face annoyed, when Kouyou frowned and halted him in his steps.  
  
“Uh, I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. I have to get these flowers to you. Customer policy.”  
  
…Plus, it slightly nerved Kouyou knowing that he had spent a good amount of time arranging these flowers specially for them to be  _appreciated_ , not returned. Kouyou took great pride in his work and for them to be returned was like a big great slap in his face.  
  
“Then just throw them away?” Yuu looked strangely to him, as if it was the easiest thing in the world to comprehend. “Are you dumb or something?”  
  
Kouyou almost choked.  _Okay_ , this ‘Yuu’ person-thing may be hot, but he was spoilt as fuck. Kouyou frowned, looking mournfully down to his bouquet, then raised his head up again, meeting Yuu’s eyes angrily as he began his rant.  
  
“OK, listen here, ‘Yuu’. I spent a decent amount of time making these flowers for you, and I expect you to accept them, okay? I spent almost half my life dedicating myself to this art, so don’t tell me to ‘just throw it away’, because I could have spent that exact same amount of time I wasted on your bouquet making another nice bouquet for someone who would  _actually_  appreciate it. And I don’t care what you do with it, but accepting it is just basic courtesy to both the customer and me. Also, they cost your boyfriend five hundred dollars, so don’t let his money go to waste, at the very least.”  
  
Kouyou  _probably_  shouldn’t have snapped that hard to the hot raven, but by this time his eyes weren’t fixated upon, ahem, Yuu’s thighs anymore, and instead vexedly looking to Yuu’s face.  
  
Yuu looked like he was going to laugh in his face.  
  
“Do you even know where you’re at right now? Do you  _honestly_  think my ex-boyfriend can’t afford that five hundred dollars? Oh, and  _yeah_ , he’s my ex. You want to know why? Because I walked in on him fucking some other slut yesterday and he thinks he can make it up to me by sending me a bouquet worth,  _wow,_ five hundred dollars. Also, I’m sorry you had to spend time arranging flowers for such a cheater cum scumbag cum loser, but if it makes you feel any better, I really liked the flowers. So there.”  
  
Kouyou had to take a moment there to process all that information. Okay, that made more sense – and now Kouyou didn’t feel as bad about the raven rejecting his flowers anymore.  
  
“…So, you really liked my flowers?”  
  
Yuu raised an eyebrow to him at his response, lips curving into a half-amused smile. “Is that  _really_  that important? I just told you I got cheated on.”  
  
Kouyou grinned to himself quickly, satisfied with his answer. “OK. I’ll help you burn them.”  
  
The raven’s smile got wider. “The flowers?”  
  
“Well,” Kouyou looked almost reluctantly back to them. “Yes.”  
  
Yuu laughed softly to himself. “Do you have to look  _that_  sad? They’re just flowers.”  
  
Kouyou frowned once more, but as he raised his head back up in annoyance to berate the raven again, he sees Yuu’s pair of mischievous looking eyes, taunting him silently from deep within. The raven-haired looked like he was having too much fun teasing Kouyou, and suddenly it occurred to the florist that… maybe… just  _maybe_ , he was being flirted with.  
  
“Maybe we could find a greater use for those flowers, they smell great after all.” Yuu’s voice suddenly descended an octave; reduced simply to just a sultry whisper, and the way he was slowly biting against his lip threw all thoughts of work in Kouyou’s head out of the window. “Do you think we could scatter them on my bed?”  
  
Kouyou never thought he would be  _this_  bold. But here he was, his heart palpitating in his chest, his voice nervous but steady as it leaves his clenched up throat. “Do you need my help with that?”  
  
Yuu giggled to him, fluttering his eyes to him lazily. “Maybe.”  
  
Kouyou was thankful for the oversized blouse Yuu was only wearing then, when he had Yuu pressed up against the door, slim legs wrapped playfully around Kouyou’s waist, the bouquet of flowers thrown onto the floor, long forgotten.  
  
~  
  
“Daddy, I’m going to miss you until I see you again,” Reina’s pouting, gesturing for Kouyou to stoop down for her to be able to kiss his cheek. Kouyou smiles weakly, looking to her, and he’s nodding his head, bending down, allowing Reina to give him a quick peck on the cheek. They’re right outside Yuu’s apartment now, and it’s almost cruel, how painful this is, coming back weekend after weekend, dropping Reina off at the raven’s apartment and parting with the only memory left of the Yuu he once knew. Because seven years ago, this was the place where Kouyou first met the love of his life, and seven years later, Kouyou’s still here, and the love of his life is  _still_  the love of his life, but Yuu’s long moved on without him. And it hurts, because he sees so much of Yuu in Reina, and he’s forced to face the fact daily that he has lost the very thing he has lived for.  
  
After returning Reina’s kiss to her on her forehead, Kouyou releases a low sigh as he stands back up straight, raising a fist up to gently knock against the front door. He waits for a few seconds or so, but when the door doesn’t open, he gets worried and knocks again, repeatedly. A minute later and Kouyou’s resigned to the fact that Yuu is probably not home yet, and it aggravates him a bit, knowing Yuu  _knows_  that he has to be back by nighttime to receive Reina. Usually Kouyou wouldn’t be making this such a big deal, but lately Yuu has been spending more and more time working overtime in the office on weekdays, abruptly calling Kouyou up every other day to request for him to pick Reina up from school, and Kouyou hates the thought of Yuu not doing his job as a good parent and mother and giving Reina the attention she deserves.  
  
Reina doesn’t say anything about it, but Kouyou knows if things continue this way, Reina will feel both neglected by her mother and father. Kouyou isn’t always able to be there for her, and Yuu’s cultivating a habit for working overtime in his office, and it’s bad enough they’re already split up. It’s bad enough they’re not a whole family, and it’s bad enough that they had brought Reina into their mess. Kouyou finds himself frowning as he bends down again to Reina’s level, apologetically looking to her with a hand on her cheek.  
  
“Looks like mummy isn’t home yet. I’ll just go make a quick call to mummy and ask him where he is, okay? I promise we won’t have to wait long.”  
  
Reina’s nodding her head to him, smiling cheekily to him at the same time. “It’s okay, daddy. This way I get to spend more time with you. I like spending time with you.”  
  
Kouyou’s heart wrenches a little at the sound of that. He continues feigning a smile, then reaches into his pockets for his phone to dial for Yuu’s number. He can’t decide if he’s more upset or angry, or both, and he can feel the irritation building up in him as seconds go past, waiting for Yuu to pick up the phone. Looking over the ledge outside Yuu’s apartment, Kouyou’s eyes are focused on the road below, eyes scanning past through the cars parked there below the block. His eyebrows furrow when his eyes eventually land on Yuu’s car, parked in his usual spot. Yuu’s car was here? Did that mean he was at home? But no one was answering the door… Was Yuu in danger?!  
  
Kouyou has half a mind to stop the call and kick his way down the front door into Yuu’s apartment, but then his eyes notice a car driving its way into the apartment grounds, casually parking by the side of the road, with a man leaving the driver’s seat to open the next car door for the passenger. Kouyou almost loses grip of his phone when he sees Yuu stepping out of the car, clothed ravishingly as always, laughing and smiling to the man who had apparently driven him home.  
  
Kouyou’s heart voluntarily breaks at the sight of Yuu leaning in for a quick kiss with the other man, who Kouyou was certain was Yuu’s date now. Since when had Yuu started dating again? Why did Kouyou not know of this? And for some reason, it makes him even more outraged, when thoughts of Yuu frolicking around with some other guy enters his head. Had Yuu been lying about working overtime the past week, then? Had he been just sleeping with some other guy on all those nights that Kouyou had been taking care of their daughter for them?  
  
“Daddy? Is mummy back home yet?” Reina asks, tugging at the side of Kouyou’s pants. Kouyou’s fuming too much to respond, and he finds himself snarling to his daughter, glaring to her furiously without meaning to. Reina whimpers at the sight, confused, but Kouyou’s too enraged to think about anything else. Yuu was dating some other man again. Yuu had _really_  replaced him. And Kouyou had known all of this since so long ago but right now it was tearing his soul apart. The knowledge was right there, in his face, and his worst fears were finally confirmed.  
  
And he was just, still, so desperately in love with the gorgeous raven-haired.  
  
“Oh, hey, Reina! You’re back home!” Yuu’s voice can be heard from a distance, and Reina’s too busy leaping at the return of her mother, frightened by her father’s sudden bad mood. “How are you, sweetheart? I’ve missed you so much.”  
  
Kouyou would have given anything to hear those words directed to him, but as he lays eyes upon his former lover, hugging their daughter to himself, Kouyou still finds his breath getting momentarily taken away, seeing Yuu like this. Because Yuu has always looked so beautiful, so sharp in all his features, and the way his hair gently falls against his face as Yuu raises his head to look at Kouyou has always made Kouyou’s heart flutter so hard in his chest. But right now, Kouyou’s filled with nothing but shards of a broken heart, and pulsating anger flowing through him.  
  
“Sorry I returned home a bit late, I was out.” Yuu says quietly, and eyes that had once been filled with love and mischief to Kouyou were now glassy and ice-cold. Kouyou wonders if Yuu reserved those mischievous looking eyes for his new beau now. “Thanks for taking care of Reina the past weekend. You can come pick her up next Friday.”  
  
Kouyou should have kept his thoughts in; he really should have. But he couldn’t take it – couldn’t take the thought of Yuu going out with someone else other than him. Not when they’d spent the last seven years building up memories of a lifetime. Not when he’d already given his heart wholesomely to him, only for Yuu to return bits and pieces of it back. It wasn’t  _fair_. It just wasn’t.  
  
And he just couldn’t stop the outburst that left him immediately after.  
  
“Are you sure you don’t need me to pick her up on the weekdays too? Are you sure you have enough time to go around sleeping with other guys behind my back? You know, I’m not exactly quite sure about that. Maybe I should just take her home now, take some time off your hands. That would make it all easier, wouldn’t it? Just call me to pick her up when you’re done sleeping around. I don’t mind doing you this fucking favor.”  
  
He should have  _fucking_  shut up.  
  
Yuu’s face is at first calm, but then his eyes give it all away when it morphs from hurt, into anger, and then finally, disgust, for the man standing before him.  
  
“Sleeping behind your back? I’m sorry – can you remind me – are we still together? Last I checked, I didn’t have any obligation to tell you what I was doing, nor would I have even if I were still with your sorry ass. And I don’t care what you say to me, but don’t you  _dare_  speak like this in front of Reina. I don’t want her to see what a mess her father truly is.”  
  
Oh, so  _now_  Yuu was treading dangerous territories.  
  
“Mummy, I don’t understand what’s going on with daddy,” Reina says softly, tugging at Yuu this time, worried, looking to Kouyou with alarmed eyes. Kouyou’s heart sinks when he realizes how much he’s scared Reina so far, especially when she had just told him how much she liked spending time with him. And now she seemed as unreachable to him as her mother was; and it frightened Kouyou. Because he had already lost Yuu, and he doesn’t think he can handle  _even_  the thought of losing Reina.  
  
“Put Reina to bed,” Kouyou said, quietly, his face conflicted. “I’ll talk to you after.”  
  
“Fine.” Yuu muttered, grabbing for Reina’s hand to hold in one hand, while he uses the other to unlock the front door. “This isn’t finished, Kouyou.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is written in a way that it's **their past / present situation / their past / present situation** , so don't get too confused!

“Are you sure you don’t want to tie me to this bed so I’ll never leave you?” Yuu’s teasing, reduced to fits of giggles as Kouyou slobbers kisses all over down his neck. Yuu’s blouse is almost slipping off his shoulders, and the few buttons that had been buttoned were all mismatched. Yuu’s making these soft moans that drives Kouyou simply crazy, and as the taller man aggressively backs Yuu up against the bedframe, kissing and ravaging Yuu’s neck harshly, Yuu’s kicking his legs high up in the air, squeezing them tightly around Kouyou’s back. “Mmm, you’re just going to take me again, aren’t you? You’re such a naughty boy. You won’t let me go.”  
  
Kouyou’s mildly chuckling, hands roaming free against Yuu’s back, fingers making deliberate scratches and marks. “Maybe because you’re so irresistible. Can you blame me? I even called in sick at work for you.” And then he’s sinking his teeth into Yuu’s neck again, making even more hickeys to decorate the raven’s collarbones. Yuu’s whining quietly with every bite, head tossed back with half-lidded eyes and a dazed smile.  
  
“We haven’t left this bed in two days,” Yuu murmured, hands reaching up to grasp at Kouyou’s hair, pulling him closer to him. He’s slightly hissing as Kouyou presses his body further up into him, rubbing his crotch lewdly against Yuu’s exposed thighs. “Except to get pizza at the door. And to shower. But then you take me again in the shower anyway,” Yuu says, smiling giddily, running his hand all over Kouyou’s hair. “God, I’ve never been so fucked in my life. And by such a hot piece of meat too…” Kouyou’s humming pleasantly at the thought, hands roaming down Yuu’s back to clench at his butt cheeks. The raven’s sighing happily, and he doesn’t even resist when Kouyou spreads his legs slowly and enters him once more, the both of them groaning pleasuredly in unison as Kouyou pushes his cock deeper into the raven.  
  
“I could get used to this,” Kouyou’s murmuring coarsely into Yuu’s ear, grinning towards the sweaty raven. Yuu’s hands are falling, weakly clasping at Kouyou’s arms, begging for Kouyou to move inside him. Kouyou has never heard sweeter music in his ears. As he begins moving in and out of the raven, Yuu’s lips scrunches up into another loud moan, his eyes falling shut at the feeling of Kouyou’s thickness driving in and out of him.  
  
“W-W-Why are you so good…  _Oh_ …  _Oh_ … So good, baby…” Yuu whines loudly in the room, hips attempting to gyrate upwards, trying to take more of Kouyou in. Kouyou’s almost chuckling, seeing the raven’s desperation, and he’s wrapping his arms around Yuu’s hips in a second, carrying him a few inches off the bed. It’s amazing how light Yuu feels in his arms, and the knowledge that he controls Yuu’s pleasure just turns him on further.  
  
“Please just fuck me, Kouyou,” Yuu’s mewling out now, whimpering weakly, unable to take the slow teasing of Kouyou’s cock as it draws in and out of Yuu at its current snail’s pace. “Please please  _please_  I beg you please just fuck me so hard I can’t walk, I  _don’t_  want to walk oh god –  _ah… ah_ , please – right  _there_  – K-Kou – ”  
  
“Don’t beg me like that,” Kouyou growls, feeling his cock harden like never before. He’s shutting his eyes, mouth drawled open as he begins fucking the raven faster, holding the raven up by his hips and slamming Yuu’s hole against his cock at an increasing pace. Yuu allows his body to be used like a tool, and he’s crying Kouyou’s name out loud as his cock begins leaking shamefully, pre-cum dripping down his thighs.  
  
“Hot…  _so hot in me_ …  _ah… ah…_  nnngh…” Yuu’s sobbing, just as Kouyou pushes him back down onto the bed and holds his legs up high, fucking rougher into him. Kouyou can feel himself so close to cumming; it’s almost embarrassing, how Yuu’s body and his noises arouse him so much, to the point of not being able to hold back in Yuu’s presence anymore. Kouyou has never felt like this with anyone else before; never ever had such cravings and desire to monopolize someone like Yuu, never had the need to see Yuu like this, pleasured and crying out loudly underneath him, fucking him like some animal that had no limitations or senses to stop. Kouyou doesn’t even know if he’s addicted to the sex, or if he’s addicted to Yuu himself, and that knowledge scares him.  
  
“Please just let me cum,” Yuu’s whispering, biting on his lip once more, his raven hair fanned out sexily underneath him.  
  
“Fuck, Yuu…” Kouyou’s groaning, unable to resist the sight, and as he fucks harder into the raven this time, he can feel himself slowly spilling inside Yuu, filling Yuu nicely up with his cum just like all the other times before. Yuu’s moaning contentedly as he feels Kouyou’s warmness begin to spread inside him, and with a hand reaching down to stroke at his own cock, Yuu brings himself to his own completion, getting himself off to the sight of Kouyou finishing off deep inside him. Kouyou may be dripping with sweat from the heat, but there’s an arrogant smirk to his face that Yuu loves, and as he lowers his lips to Yuu’s ones, the raven’s hurriedly capturing them into a kiss, frenziedly making out with the man he called a stranger just two days ago.  
  
When they have finally worn each other out – or at least, for the next hour or so – they’re back to their usual cuddling position once more, Kouyou’s arms locking gently around Yuu’s waist, Yuu’s head lying down cutely against Kouyou’s chest. It’s funny, how close he feels to Yuu like this even though he barely knows him; but like this, when it feels like time is standing still, and the whole world only revolves around them, and nothing else matters but Yuu lying in his arms, Kouyou feels like there’s nowhere else in the world he’d rather be than here.  
  
“I never thought florists could fuck so good,” Yuu hums softly, smiling up to Kouyou. Kouyou returns back a small smile, hands gently fleeting down to brush at Yuu’s hair. “You know, you fuck better than Akira ever did. He always made me do all the work.”  
  
Kouyou smiled smugly at that. “Well, to be honest, I didn’t know I could fuck  _that_  good either. I think it must be you. Or something in here. I don’t know.”  
  
Yuu laughed in response. “Then it must be me! I take credit for all the sex.”  
  
Kouyou lifted an eyebrow. “ _All_  of it? You sure?”  
  
Yuu lay a hand against Kouyou’s bare chest, caressing it slowly. “Uh-huh. And it had nothing to do with your smokin’ hot body. Seriously, you would think a florist would be the last person to work out.”  
  
Kouyou chuckled. “Okay, stop making fun of my job, okay? Plus, we have a garden at the back. And you  _have_  to have really strong arms to garden, I’m telling you.”  
  
Yuu happily snuggles into Kouyou’s arms. “Mmmm. I hear ya.”  
  
It’s silent for a while between them, what with Kouyou’s stroking of Yuu’s hair, and Yuu’s soft sighing and breathing against Kouyou’s chest. And then it suddenly occurs to Kouyou that he doesn’t want to  _ever_  leave. And it suddenly occurs to Kouyou how dangerous this feeling is. Because he knows he’s not the type to easily get into random one night stands, and he knows he gets attached too easily, and he’s not used to having sex without emotions involved. And he’s afraid of the consequences, afraid of what might happen, if this all turns around on him and Yuu says things that will confirm his fears and break his heart. Because he knows Yuu has just gotten cheated on, and perhaps the raven is doing everything in his power to ease the pain.  
  
But Kouyou’s not here for that purpose, no. He’s here with the most gorgeous person he’s ever lay his eyes upon, and he feels his heart spiraling further and further with each passing moment spent with him. And Kouyou can’t have that. He can’t be thrown aside so casually like that after his heart has been used.  
  
And so, it takes him one, two, three hours to muster up enough courage to want to break away from this embrace, despite all senses telling him not to do so.  
  
“I have to go,” Kouyou begins quietly, holding Yuu tighter in his arms like never before. Yuu smells so good, even though it’s been days and they haven’t had time to properly get dressed, but he can smell Yuu’s shampoo from his hair and it’s  _heaven_ , and the sheets are tainted with the delightful scent of Yuu’s perfume. He wonders if he’ll ever forget Yuu’s smell, or if this will haunt him forever.  
  
“Go?” Yuu asks softly, eyes confusedly gazing back up to Kouyou. “Go? You said you didn’t ever want to leave me just a couple of hours ago.”  
  
Kouyou let out a sigh, removing his arms slowly from Yuu’s waist. “I changed my mind. I’m sorry, I – I have other commitments I have to get back to.”  
  
Yuu’s extremely vicious in his next reply. “Other commitments?! You told me you were single!” And he’s clawing and scratching at Kouyou’s chest in the next moment, and Kouyou’s hissing and pulling away from him, unable to understand Yuu’s hurt. Wasn’t this good for Yuu? Wasn’t Yuu able to go back to his rich lifestyle now, filled with boyfriends who could buy him 500-dollar-worth bouquets anytime he wanted?  
  
“I’m not lying to you. I’m single. But I have to go, I’m sorry, Yuu.” And as he’s pulling himself up, leaving Yuu lying in bed, he turns and suddenly sees the raven’s eyes redden, and it almost kills everything inside of him. “Yuu? Yuu? Are you okay?”  
  
“I just got used, didn’t I?” Yuu’s next words shatter his heart like fragile glass in the wind. The raven doesn’t even bother to pull himself up, and he remains in the bed like before, absent Kouyou’s arms to hold him with. “I got used. Again. I always get used for sex. It’s not only Akira. It’s the one before that too. And the one before that. And the one before that. Everyone has used me for sex. Why am I so gullible? I don’t understand.”  
  
Kouyou’s instantly returning to bed, heart softening at the sight of Yuu weak like this.  
  
“I wasn’t using you.”  
  
“But you’re leaving,” Yuu chokes out, laughing wryly, hiding his eyes from view. He was crying, and Kouyou  _dies_  knowing he was the cause of it. “I don’t understand. I’m not so bad, aren’t I? I thought you would at least stay for another day. Even if… Even if you weren’t interested in dating me. I just thought…”  
  
“Yuu,” Kouyou’s murmuring, bringing Yuu gently into his arms. He feels wet droplets running down Yuu’s cheeks, falling softly against his shoulders. “Yuu, I was scared. I… I’m not the type of guy to usually do this, you know. I don’t have sex with people for fun. And holding you in my arms the past two days… I got scared. I got so scared, Yuu, you can’t imagine. And I don’t know how to say this without sounding creepy, but – Yuu, I think I’m falling in love with you. I’m falling in love, hard, and I don’t want to bring you into this mess if you don’t feel the same way. So I’m sorry, but I have to go.”  
  
Yuu’s breathing staggers at his words. “W-What?”  
  
Kouyou sighed to himself. “I knew I shouldn’t have said that. Look, Yuu, it’s okay, I understand. I’m not the type of guy that’s supposed to be with you, anyway – you’re beautiful, you’re rich, you live in an apartment that I will never be able to afford. It’s fine if you reject – ”  
  
“Say that again.”  
  
Kouyou bit his lip. “Say what?”  
  
Yuu’s eyes fall shut. “Say you love me.”  
  
Kouyou draws in a sharp breath. “Yuu – I don’t understand – ” But the way Yuu’s holding him now, hugging Kouyou tightly to him as if he never wanted to let go, made Kouyou smile a little. “I love you, Yuu. And I know that I know nothing about you. But I’m beginning to feel too comfortable holding you in my arms, and you should know that. And I’m beginning to think there’s no one else that would fit better in them, and you should know that.”  
  
Yuu sniffs softly, his smile widening. “What else should I know?”  
  
Kouyou stroked past his hair gently. “That I’ve never felt this way before about anyone else. That it’s scaring me just how perfect your name rolls off my tongue. That I can’t give you five hundred dollar bouquets, but I can make them for you. And I can promise you this: I’ll never cheat on you with a slut. Not when you’ve given me the best sex I’ve ever had in my entire life.”  
  
Yuu’s burying his head into Kouyou’s shoulder. “None of my boyfriends told me that before.”  
  
Kouyou shuts his eyes close with a smile, basking in Yuu’s scent and embrace. “They didn’t tell you how good you were in bed?”  
  
Yuu giggled. “Of course not. They  _love_  to tell me how good I am in bed. But… they never told me they loved me before.” Yuu squeezed Kouyou in his arms. “At least not like this.”  
  
Kouyou smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“Don’t be,” Yuu drew apart from the embrace, teary eyes looking up to the florist. “I’m going to be honest. I can’t say I love you back. At least not now. Not when I don’t know who you are. I’m sorry.” Kouyou gazes to him confusedly, frowning at Yuu’s response. “But I can say this: you’re the best sex I’ve ever had, too. And… I wouldn’t mind it… if you asked me out.” Yuu tries to hide his blushing cheeks by looking away, and it makes Kouyou chuckle so much at his antics. How was it possible that such a gorgeous being could be so cute at the same time?  
  
“It’s okay if you say you don’t love me now,” Kouyou says, smiling adoringly to the raven. “Because I know you will. Eventually. If you let me take you out. If you give me a chance. I’ll make you a million bouquets of flowers, and I’ll make you the happiest person alive. I promise.”  
  
Yuu’s eyes glistened with tears once more. “I’ll remember this. You promised.”  
  
~  
  
Kouyou tries to seat himself comfortably on this sofa, but he can’t, at least not anymore, not when everything has changed. Reina has been put to bed and Yuu’s in the kitchen now, grabbing both of them some glasses of water, and Kouyou has never felt more anxious like this. He glances around the apartment, trying to take in all the sights he was once used to, all the places he and Yuu once… made love against, though Kouyou blocks those thoughts out of his head as soon as they enter in. He knows he’s not supposed to think about them anymore. He knows he’s not supposed to  _even_  think they have a chance anymore. He knows he’s not supposed to dwell on the past, on their memories, on all they once had.  
  
But he can’t stop that; not now, not when he was confronted with the person of his dreams and their daughter and all that they could have. Because they had been a loving family, once, and they had raised Reina right up from since she was a toddler. Reina was  _theirs_. They were  _Reina’s_. But now everything was gone.  
  
And they weren’t the people they used to be anymore.  
  
“Sorry, I would grab you a cup of coffee but it’s late,” Yuu says, entering back into the living room with two glasses of water. Kouyou tries not to stare at the sight, he tries not to look at how beautiful Yuu is with his hair tucked to one side and the way his body looks so lean in his dinner outfit, but he  _can’t –_ and his heart still beats furiously when he sees Yuu up-close like this, and his heart still doesn’t listen after being told repeatedly it can’t have anymore feelings for the raven.  
  
He watches as Yuu places the glasses of water onto the coffee table before the sofa, frowning as the raven seats himself against it, a reasonable distance away from Kouyou’s position. “So. You wanted to talk to me about me dating?”  
  
Kouyou had a thousand angry words running through his head just earlier, while watching Yuu kiss the man softly on the lips, but right now, looking at Yuu seated before him like this, Kouyou doesn’t feel anything else but the need to kiss him.  
  
But he know he can’t. He can’t, anymore.  
  
“You should let me know if you’re dating,” Kouyou says, looking away, reaching a hand over to the glass of water as if to distract himself from the sight of his pretty ex-lover. “I didn’t want to find out this way.”  
  
Yuu made an annoyed ‘tsk’ at his words.  “Kouyou, I’m sorry for saying this, but – why the fuck should I tell you what I’m doing with my life?”  
  
…Kouyou  _knew_  he shouldn’t have started this conversation. He had just set himself up for a broken heart.  
  
“Because we used to be married. And we have Reina. And I want to know what’s going on in your life.” That’s right, Kouyou. Be firm and resolute about this. It all comes down to the family. And Reina. And the family. And Reina. It’s  _not_ because you’re still hopelessly in love with Yuu, no. It never is.  
  
“Well, if  _you_  were dating, would you tell me about that then?” Yuu asked in an irked tone.  
  
Kouyou wasn’t sure how to answer that – not when he was sure he wouldn’t date, ever, not again. Not anymore. “Of course I would.” But alas, words still leave his lips.  
  
“Look, I don’t understand this, but fine. Whatever. Since you insist so much. I’ll let you know when I’m going on dates, okay? It doesn’t bother me anyway.” Yuu rolled his eyes, reaching for his glass of water for a sip. “Also, you shouldn’t have used such foul language in front of Reina. She’s not supposed to pick up curse words, okay? I don’t want to have her thinking this is appropriate behavior.”  
  
Kouyou felt a bit of that earlier vexation boiling back up in him. “You think  _I’m_ being an inappropriate father? Are you kidding me? Was  _I_  the one abandoning her to you whilst I go fuck some other men? Out of seven days this week,  _I_ spent five days with her. Five  _fucking_  days. You claimed to be busy in the office, but I guess I know the real reason now.”  
  
Yuu’s eyes burned directly into his, angrily.  “You think I’m not a good mother? You think I spend all my time flirting with other guys, is that it? You would  _love_  to think that, huh? You don’t think  _I’m_ the one who buys her dinner and buys her clothes and pays for her school fees and makes sure she has enough lunch allowance so she can go play with friends, unlike her deadbeat father who does nothing but play around with flowers for a living?!”  
  
Kouyou inhaled a breath. Yuu  _knew_  how he felt about that. Yuu fucking knew how much Kouyou loved his job, and his passion, and how his humble pay never mattered to him because it was enough to give him a good enough life that he always wanted to lead. And he  _hates_  it, hates how Yuu’s so much wealthier than he is, because this gave Yuu Reina, and this also gave Yuu more reason to be apart from Kouyou. Because Kouyou really is nothing, isn’t he? Kouyou can always be replaced with other men. Kouyou is nothing but Reina’s father. And that’s it. That’s all he’ll ever be.  
  
“You think giving Reina fifty dollars per day – I’m sorry, for an  _eight_  year old – will make her happy? Does she buy her friends with money, is she using that money wisely, all of that – has it ever occurred to you?! Because while you’re out being fucked by other men, Reina has nowhere to go, you know that? And you dump her with me and  _I_  have to step up and be the parent you never were, just because you were too busy spending time getting your ass licked by some rich businessman. You don’t think Reina feels lonely too? Do you  _seriously_  think you’re a good mother?”  
  
Looking at Yuu’s shocked face now, Kouyou knows he might have just crossed the line. And he knows these words will never leave his lips had he not been provoked; but he’d been too hurt, too upset by the knowledge of Yuu dating other men. He already knew, but he never, ever, wanted to acknowledge it. But knowing he had hurt Yuu with his angered words hurt more than knowing Yuu was fucking other men ever could.  
  
“Look, Yuu, I’m sorry.” Kouyou said quietly. “You’re right. It’s your business if you ever want to tell me you’re dating again. It’s not mine. And you’re right in saying you’re responsible for taking care of Reina’s life, because you are. And I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking, being angry in front of Reina like this. I don’t want our daughter to see this side of me. She doesn’t deserve it.”  
  
Yuu’s voice is cold when he replies. “It’s fine. I’ll see you Friday, then.”  
  
And that’s when Kouyou breaks. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it wasn’t this. He didn’t know anything anymore. He didn’t want  _this_. He didn’t want this Yuu. He wanted the Yuu that loved him back.  
  
“You really don’t care about me anymore, don’t you?” He mentally noted he should stop talking. He  _really_  should stop talking. “You really have no feelings for me anymore. I keep telling myself that, but I don’t believe it. I  _can’t_  believe it. I didn’t believe it, until now, until I see you kissing another man in front of me. Are you this heartless? Do I really mean nothing to you anymore?”  
  
Yuu’s eyes gaze up to him, momentarily confused. “What?”  
  
Kouyou’s heart smashes visibly in his ears. “I’ll take my leave now, then.”  
  
Yuu inhales sharply for a moment, and Kouyou thinks he’s going to say something, but he doesn’t.  
  
And so he gets up and heads for the door, knowing he’d left another part of himself with Yuu once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is written in a way that it's **their past / present situation / their past / present situation** , so don't get too confused!

On their first date, Kouyou brings Yuu to the central park to feed the ducks and birds at the water fountain. Yuu’s completely astounded by the sight.  
  
“People do that?” Yuu had asked, when Kouyou first broached the idea. “They feed wild animals?”  
  
Kouyou had laughed then. “Yuu, they’re  _not_  wild animals. They’re just… well, there.”  
  
“Which brings me back to my first question. People do  _that_?” Yuu gasped, amazed at the thought of it. Kouyou had kissed him on the lips then, unable to take Yuu so adorable like this.  
  
“Yuu, they do a lot of things. You know, not everyone has a seven figure amount of money in their bank account like you.” Kouyou rolled his eyes, though he’s laughing at Yuu all the same. “Also, I’m paying for our first date. No question about it.”  
  
“But where will we go?” Yuu asked, poking the side of Kouyou’s shoulder. “Ooh, ooh, are we going to eat at a hotdog stand or something? I’ve never eaten from a hotdog stand.”  
  
Kouyou almost looks offended at the thought. “You think I can  _only_  afford a hotdog stand? Yuu, I’m bringing you to a real restaurant! But now that you mention that you’ve never been there before, maybe I’ll bring you to a hotdog stand for lunch.”  
  
Yuu giggled at the thought. “Kouyou, you know I don’t mind going anywhere with you. I don’t even mind eating pizza with you.”  
  
Kouyou grinned at his response. “Honey, you  _poor_  thing.”  
  
~  
  
Kouyou shouldn’t have done that. Kouyou shouldn’t have been such a blabbermouth today; he shouldn’t have thought better of himself and spoken his thoughts out loud. Yuu didn’t deserve it – not his rage, not his anger, not his jealousy. Yuu had made it perfectly clear when they first split that he didn’t want things to be difficult for their family, especially Reina, though Kouyou feels slightly indignant knowing Yuu probably cared more about his own feelings in all of these, more than anyone else’s. He was always like that, wasn’t he? He was always so selfish, so manipulative. Sometimes Kouyou hated him with all his heart. Only because he loved him just as much.  
  
Kouyou drives himself home in his car in a blind rage, knowing he had fucked things up again. Not that things weren’t already bad; but this time, Yuu would probably avoid all contact with him even more. Not like it already hurt Kouyou. Not like it already sucked so much, having to go home to an empty apartment where neither lover nor child existed.  
  
And Kouyou can’t help it, but the images of Yuu being held in another’s embrace keep revisiting his mind, and as Kouyou reaches his apartment door and unlocks it swiftly, the first thing he does when he gets home is deliver a fist to the nearest wall. The pain stings, and it’s a throbbing ache, but Kouyou can’t concentrate on the blood spilling from his hands when everything hurts the same. He imagines Yuu’s lover to be the wall, he imagines choking the man with his bare hands, he imagines yelling at the man just how much he’s had taken away from him already, and he wasn’t going to sit idlely to the side as he watched Yuu get taken away from him again.  
  
He doesn’t know how long he spends there, just simply bruising his knuckles against the wall and shouting at a non-responsive wall, but when it’s done, finally done, Kouyou feels hot tears leaking out his eyes, and he’s holding back sobs to himself when the crippling realization finally sank into him.  
  
He just wasn’t needed anymore. Not to Yuu. Not to Reina. Maybe Reina would get a replacement father, with someone who could afford her branded dresses and shoes and bring her to five star restaurants to dine in. It’s enough that Kouyou never felt enough to do that for Yuu – now Reina was to be brought into this, too, and Kouyou doesn’t ever know how he can fill the gap that’s slowly widening between all of them.  
  
He’s about to head to the washroom, with a swollen fist and a ruptured heart, when he passes by his bed and catches sight of Reina’s favorite ‘blankie’ blanket. Reina always felt embarrassed about it, and she tells Kouyou of how mummy disapproves of Reina still keeping something like that at her age, but Kouyou always reassured Reina it was nothing to worry about, for needing some sort of comfort close to her when she fell asleep at night. Without her blanket that she’d clung onto since she was a little girl, Reina can’t sleep well at night, and she would often be plagued by nightmares of which she wouldn’t reveal to Kouyou.  
  
Kouyou’s sighing at the thought, making his way to the bed, and as he picks up the blanket with his clean hand, he contemplates driving back to Yuu’s place to hand this over to him.  
  
~  
  
Yuu’s a tough one to crack. Because Kouyou has brought him to amusement parks, coffee shops, the movie theatre, anywhere they could possibly date at, and Yuu still hasn’t cracked. He still hasn’t told Kouyou what his feelings for him were, and Kouyou was silently feeling a little anxious as to Yuu’s thoughts on him.  
  
But Yuu’s always holding Kouyou in one hand, head rested against Kouyou’s shoulder, laughing and teasing Kouyou every second of the day, acting like the perfect partner to him. Kouyou doesn’t know when he had gotten so used to Yuu leaning against him like this, but now that he has it, he’s not so sure he wants to ever let it go.  
  
“Are you hungry? Maybe we’ll have dinner at a nice café by this street,” Kouyou murmurs, an arm around Yuu’s waist, pressing the raven closer to him. Yuu laughs cutely at that.  
  
“Mmmm. I’ll eat anything you give me, monsieur. I’ll even eat you. If that’s what you have to offer me.” Yuu says, nuzzling into Kouyou’s arm. Kouyou can’t stop the smile that’s spreading on his face.  
  
“Are you always this cute to everyone you date, or have you reserved all that sweetness for me?” Kouyou teases, bending over to give a quick kiss against Yuu’s hair. “How can anyone even resist you? I’m so lucky.”  
  
Yuu’s cheeks turn slightly pink at that. “Are you such a sweet-talker all the time, or have you reserved all of that for me, too? What an idiot. I don’t know how anyone stands you.”  
  
Kouyou’s laughing at his words. “Oh, so now you can’t stand me? Well, I guess that’s true in a sense, since I make your legs go weak all the time. And not only from having sex.” Yuu snaps him a heated look, then knees him quickly in the groin. “Ow! Yuu!”  
  
“Stupid bastard. Don’t get too full of yourself. I can run away from you anytime!” But even as Yuu says this, he’s nuzzling back into Kouyou’s shoulder, making a soft ‘mmmm’ as he does so. “Maybe I’ll stay for a while longer. You feel better than my pillows.”  
  
Kouyou chuckles, squeezing Yuu in his grasp. “Alright. I guess I will just have to stay here then, to accommodate my little princess.” Yuu makes a pleasant hum of approval at that.  
  
When they finally make their way into the café, they’re led to a nice table by the street corner, where they can probably admire the view of watching the sky turn dark as people pass them by. After placing their order for two à la carte pastas, Yuu’s back to happily sighing as he lounges against Kouyou, refusing to leave him for a second. Kouyou beams at the knowledge. He wonders if Yuu acts like this with all his boyfriends, or if it’s just Kouyou he’s particularly attached to. Because Kouyou wants to relish in the thought that this is special, that Yuu has just taken more than a liking to him. That this could turn into something so much more. Because his feelings are threading dangerous territories, and Yuu’s love for skin ship with him isn’t helping.  
  
“You know, all of this is pretty exciting,” Yuu says, playing with the buttons on Kouyou’s shirt. “I’ve never gone out with someone like you before. I’ve never met a… ‘Kouyou’.”  
  
Kouyou’s slightly bewildered by his comment. “What do you mean?” Did Yuu mean it in a positive or negative way? Was Kouyou being insulted or praised?  
  
“I don’t know. You’re just different,” Yuu says with a soft sigh. “I feel so happy now. I don’t know what that means.”  
  
Kouyou smiles weakly at that. “Maybe it means you love–”  
  
“Yuu! Is that you?” The faraway voice instantly halts Yuu in his stance, pulling him away from Kouyou’s embrace immediately. Kouyou’s eyes immediately fly to him, puzzled. But then a person soon comes into view, walking to their table, and Kouyou sees a man equally as gorgeous as Yuu, dressed finely in impeccable materials Kouyou couldn’t even put a name to. With a rich green shawl wrapped around the man’s neck, the man carries the same bewitching smile Yuu has, hands full with shopping bags that contain only the most expensive of brands.  
  
“Takanori,” Yuu says, a tight smile upon his lips. Kouyou’s stunned by the sight of Yuu’s friend – he had expected that Yuu would make equally attractive, equally wealthy friends, but he never expected to see one so soon. But he’s also wondering why Yuu begins to look so anxious at the sight of Takanori, and his first thought is wondering if Yuu’s ashamed to be seen together with someone like Kouyou.  
  
“I didn’t expect to find you here! You know, Akira always tells me you never liked going to these kind of places. Always has to be, you know, daddy’s golf club, daddy’s recommended restaurant, you get what I’m saying. A little too high-maintenance, don’t you think?” Takanori’s saying, laughing in an awfully nasal voice, and suddenly, Kouyou doesn’t like him already. Did he successfully just insult Yuu twice in a single sentence? It’s no wonder Yuu’s hands are slowly curling into fists, and his face is twisted in blatant annoyance right now. And did he just mention that Yuu didn’t like these sort of places? Well, a big  _fuck you_  to you, Takanori. Kouyou had spent the whole time trying to appease Yuu and take him out on nice dates, and here Takanori was dismissing his efforts.  
  
Wait – he also mentioned  _Akira_  – Kouyou’s face pales instantly at the thought. Wasn’t Akira Yuu’s ex-boyfriend?  
  
“Yeah, huh, so funny.” Yuu scoffed at Takanori’s words. “Anyway, I’m here with my boyfriend. Kouyou.” He’s clutching at Kouyou’s arms without warning, pulling them possessively around him. “Kouyou, this is Takanori. We’ve been friends since high school.”  
  
“Correction – best friends forever!” Takanori added with a squeal, and Kouyou looked to him strangely at that.  
  
“Nice to meet you, Takanori,” Kouyou says, trying to be as polite as possible, though he’s confused as to how civil Yuu is acting even after Takanori so boldly insulted him in his first greeting.  
  
“Mmm, you’re a fine piece of meat, aren’t you?” Takanori cocks his head, scrutinizing Kouyou’s body before him. “I never thought Yuu would go for  _this_  kind, but well! Yuu’s always surprising me.”  
  
Yuu interjected rudely. “ _You’re_  always surprising me.”  
  
“That’s kinda true, too,” Takanori laughed it off. “Well, oops, gotta go. Chauffeur’s meeting me at 5. I have to meet Akira for a dinner reservation later, too. See you, Yuu!”  
  
Suddenly it dawned unto Kouyou who had cheated on who.  
  
“Send Akira my regards,” Yuu said, rather bitterly, waving Takanori off. “And Kouyou’s too.”  
  
Takanori’s gaze lingered on Kouyou for a second longer. “Of course, anything for your hot stuff, Yuu.” And for a minute there Kouyou almost felt Takanori’s eyes undressing him slowly in his mind – until the brunet finally giggled to him and turned and left, but without winking flirtatiously down his way.  
  
Yuu sinks into Kouyou’s embrace immediately after Takanori has left their sight.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Kouyou says softly, rubbing at Yuu’s arms in a bid to comfort him. “I didn’t know.”  
  
Yuu shook his head and buried his face into Kouyou’s chest. “It’s fine. You know what the worst thing is? I don’t even think Takanori loves him. Akira, that is. He’s always been so jealous of me. From my family name, to my boyfriends, to what I owned. And I bet he would steal you, too, just to spite me. It’s dumb, because all my boyfriends keep falling for it, proving they never even cared about me.”  
  
Kouyou strokes at his hair gently. “I’ll never leave you. I promise.”  
  
“Making a fair bit of promises, aren’t we, Kouyou?” Yuu says with a laugh, but tears are slowly escaping his eyes, and Kouyou can feel them quickly falling down his shirt. “Just to let you know, if you ever go back on any of these promises, you’re going to hell, mister.”  
  
Kouyou smiles wryly at his words. “Yuu, I don’t think you know what ‘promise’ means.”  
  
Yuu shakes his head, eyes tired. “Maybe because that word has lost all meaning for me.”  
  
“Hey,” Kouyou says, kissing the tip of Yuu’s head gently. “I’m different. Okay? I promise. I’ll never leave you, Yuu. I don’t think I can, anymore. Not when I already have you.”  
  
Yuu’s smiling softly at that, his heart leaping happily at his words. “You know what Kouyou?”  
  
 _I think I love you_.  
  
~  
  
It’s starting to rain, and it’s the coldest Kouyou has ever felt in ages. He hadn’t thought to bring a spare umbrella, too upset to remember, and he’s leaving his car hurriedly, keeping Reina’s ‘blankie’ safe underneath his shirt. He’s hugging it to himself, cursing at his luck as the rain pelts down against him and drenches him from head to toe. Kouyou’s sighing when he finally reaches shelter, taking out Reina’s blanket from underneath his shirt and drying what little rain had caught on it. It’s far too precious a possession to be ruined, and Kouyou doesn’t want anything else to taint what he loves so far.  
  
The lifts don’t take too long to bring him up to Yuu’s apartment, and it’s only when he stands outside Yuu’s front door, a fist raised and prepared to knock, that it occurs to him it’s midnight and it would be cruel to awake Yuu from his slumber just to receive Reina’s blanket. Just  _what_  was he thinking? He could have waited till next morning to drop it off. What if Yuu was already tucked in and fast asleep? Just because Kouyou had trouble sleeping at night didn’t mean Yuu had as well; Yuu was probably sound asleep already, having sweet dreams of his new boyfriend. Kouyou’s disheartened at the thought.  
  
He probably should return home, in the midst of this heavy rain, but there’s a nagging thought in his head telling him to go for it. That he was here not to pass Reina’s blanket, but to see Yuu again and tell him he loved him. That he was here to make things all better again. That he was here to bring Yuu into his arms and tell him he didn’t want Yuu to be with anyone else. Because Yuu can’t. Yuu can’t, when Kouyou was so alone all on the other side.  
  
His conscience betrays him and he’s quickly knocking on the front door, only to curse at himself when he realizes what he was doing. Why the  _fuck_  does he keep making the worst decisions ever, all in the name of love? It’s like it’d almost be better if he was dead.  
  
…It  _would_  be better if he was dead.  
  
The door opens not a few seconds later, and Kouyou comes into sight with Yuu adorning his silky bathrobes. Yuu must have just taken a bath, Kouyou registers, thankful that he hadn’t woken Yuu up from anything. He smells Yuu’s familiar shampoo, sees the raven’s wet hair fall to his shoulders, and it’s taking all of Kouyou to resist jumping on Yuu right then and there. How long has it been since he had seen Yuu like this, in the comfort of their own home, ready to be kissed and embraced upon anytime he wished like it?  
  
“You’re all drenched,” Yuu says, eyes flickering over Kouyou’s body. If Kouyou didn’t know any better, he would have thought that gaze to be of worry. “How did you get caught in the rain?”  
  
Kouyou tries to shrug it off. “I just forgot an umbrella, that’s all. Um, I’m just here to pass this blanket that Reina left at my apartment.” He hands over the blanket that’s been tucked in his arms preciously to Yuu, and Yuu looks to him, surprised at the gesture.  
  
“Did you come back here specially for the blanket?” Yuu asks, taking the blanket into his arms. “You know, I always told Reina she’s too old for this anymore. She doesn’t really need it, does she?”  
  
Kouyou frowns at his words. “She needs it to sleep better at night. She says it keeps the nightmares away.”  
  
Yuu sighs quietly at that. “Fine. I’ll get it to her. Is that all?”  
  
Kouyou’s heart jumps in that instant.  _Maybe I could kiss you_.  
  
“No, that’s all, I guess. I’ll be leaving now. See you Friday.” And yet his mouth betrays his heart, once again.  
  
Yuu looks to him with a tinge of concern. “Okay, then. See you Friday.”  
  
And then Kouyou’s turning away reluctantly, heavy heart in his chest, wondering if it had been all worth it to come back here just to return Reina’s blanket. And he’s so lost in his thoughts, he doesn’t even hear Yuu’s calling for him.  
  
“Kouyou?”  
  
Kouyou doesn’t notice Yuu until the raven runs after him, hands quickly grabbing at Kouyou’s arm. The taller man’s eyes widen, shocked at Yuu’s sudden touch, and his heart is beating wildly in his chest as he turns to face the raven once again. Yuu’s icy eyes are looking to Kouyou’s fist worriedly, holding it up for closer inspection.  
  
“Your hand is bleeding. What happened?” Yuu’s fingers feel so delicate, so gentle against his skin. Kouyou goes weak in his knees.  
  
“Just a minor accident, that’s all.” Kouyou reassures, a small smile upon his lips, but Yuu doesn’t buy that, and he’s quickly tugging at Kouyou’s arm, bringing him back to the apartment.  
  
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Kouyou’s asking, heart fluttering madly in anticipation. Yuu sighs and looks to him with a frown.  
  
“I would have thought you’d be taking better care of yourself, Kouyou. You got yourself drenched in the rain and your hand is bleeding. I don’t want Reina to have no father.”  
  
Kouyou smiles to himself at Yuu’s words. The raven was caring for him. It was subtle, yes, and masked by his insults and angry remarks. But Yuu was  _caring_  for him. And he wanted Kouyou to remain as Reina’s father.  
  
And Kouyou has never felt this happy in ages.  
  
“Go take a seat on the sofa, I’ll grab a towel and some Band-Aid for you.” Yuu says, shaking his head disapprovingly to Kouyou’s direction. But Kouyou’s too busy grinning to be affected by it. Yuu’s smiling softly when he notices.  
  
When Yuu returns, he seats himself close to Kouyou, placing the first-aid kit onto the coffee table, with a towel in hand to dry Kouyou off. Kouyou can’t take his eyes off Yuu as the raven pats the towel gently against Kouyou’s face, completely concentrated on task at hand. Yuu squeezes Kouyou’s hair dry, then brings the towel down to his neck, dabbing it across his collarbones. Kouyou trembles underneath his touch, and he hides his hands against the sofa, not wanting Yuu to see how he still affects Kouyou so vividly so.  
  
“Take your shirt off,” Yuu says gently, and Kouyou’s bewildered to hear those words leave Yuu’s lips.  
  
“Are you sure?” Kouyou asks, hesitant, but Yuu’s smiling lightly at that.  
  
“Relax. I don’t want you to fall sick.”  
  
Kouyou’s still uncertain about it, but his hands quickly move to the buttons, unbuttoning them as fast as he can manage. Yuu pulls his shirt off his shoulders, tossing it to the side, before moving back to the task, drying his chest off with the towel. It’s completely silent, with Kouyou’s heavy breathing, and Yuu’s pursing of his lips as he focuses on his job at hand. When his towel finally reaches to Kouyou’s abdomen, hovering dangerously above Kouyou’s pants, Yuu pauses for a moment, then turns to the coffee table, reaching for the first-aid kit.  
  
“I’ll medicate your hand now,” Yuu says, taking out the necessary oils, before reaching for Kouyou’s hand in his. He looks up to Kouyou for a moment, meeting Kouyou’s loving gaze, catching the raven by immediate surprise. How long had Kouyou been staring at him like that? Yuu’s turning his head back down quickly, cleaning Kouyou of his wounds carefully.  
  
Kouyou seems to notice the sudden tension, and his stomach churns at that.  
  
“I’m sorry if this is making you uncomfortable.”  
  
Yuu shakes his head. “It’s nothing. So, would you care to explain how you got an injured fist?” And it’s funny, because as the words leave his mouth, the realization sinks in him, and he realizes he was the very answer itself. “Kouyou, did you punch a wall?”  
  
Kouyou’s looking away, embarrassed at his words. “Can I not answer that?”  
  
Yuu makes an exasperated sigh in response, reaching for the bandages. “Kouyou, look, I know you’re worried about where you stand as a father. I don’t blame you. I’ll let you know if I’m seeing someone, okay? But I just want you to know that no matter what happens, Reina will still be your daughter, and I won’t–”  
  
He’s silenced by a swift kiss to his lips, having not noticed Kouyou leaning in all these while. Yuu’s stunned, but he doesn’t push Kouyou away, nor react to the kiss either. Kouyou kisses Yuu softly, intoxicatingly, sinking against the familiar feel of Yuu’s lips, and pulls away reluctantly only when he realizes Yuu isn’t responding.  
  
“I don’t want you to be with anyone else,” Kouyou whispers, explaining, hurt filling his eyes, his hands reaching over to circle around Yuu’s wrists gently. “Please. You know I still love you. I have never stopped loving you. You only wanted to leave me to prove something, and it’s proven. You can live without me. But I can’t live without you, Yuu. I’m sorry.”  
  
Yuu’s dazed for a moment. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You just can’t get over the shock of me dating someone else.”  
  
“And why do you think that is?” Kouyou says quietly, bringing Yuu’s hands up to his lips, bestowing soft kisses against the raven’s knuckles. “You’re right. I don’t want anyone else to be Reina’s father. But more importantly, I don’t want to even  _think_  about you needing someone else other than me. You’re the love of my life, Yuu. And I know you’ll tell me you don’t love me now, but I promise I’ll make you love me again. Just like how I did before. We’ll make this work. I promise.”  
  
Yuu flutters his eyes shut as he speaks. “Kouyou, I don’t know.”  
  
“But you can kiss me, right?” Kouyou asks, his voice hopeful. “If I kiss you now, will you kiss me?”  
  
It’s a blur in the next second, when Kouyou has leaned in and captured Yuu’s lips against his. But then Yuu’s hands are slowly wrapping around Kouyou’s neck, and the raven’s parting his lips, allowing Kouyou’s tongue to slide in. He’s softly moaning when Kouyou reaches his hands up to grasp at the raven’s hair, kissing him passionately at the same time.  
  
Kouyou can already hear Yuu’s answer.  
  
Kouyou can already feel Yuu’s heart beating.  
  
Kouyou can’t remember the last time he felt more complete.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is written in a way that it's **their past / present situation / their past / present situation** , so don't get too confused!

They’re cuddling in the bed over at Kouyou’s apartment when Yuu first broaches the subject. Kouyou’s caressing Yuu’s hair lovingly as always, smiling and thinking about nothing but how good Yuu feels in his arms, when Yuu shifts in his position a little and pulls himself up.  
  
“I want to move in with you,” Yuu murmurs, giggling a little when he sees Kouyou’s eyes widen in surprise at Yuu’s words. “I want to be in bed with you everyday. I love you.”  
  
Kouyou’s heart melts hearing Yuu say that, but there are so many questions currently flooding to his mind that he doesn’t know what to say. “Yuu, your apartment is ten times bigger than mine. Wouldn’t you be happier staying there?”  
  
Yuu pretends to ponder over this for a second. “You’re right. I  _should_  live in my million dollar apartment.” Then, seeing Kouyou go silent with disappointment, Yuu’s giggling once more, shaking his head. “I don’t care. I change my mind. I want to move in with you.”  
  
Low chuckles leave Kouyou’s lips. “Why? It’s small here.”  
  
Yuu smirks up to his lover. “Not when you’re so big.” Kouyou’s face reddens immediately. “What? I’m stating the truth.”  
  
“I don’t know what to say,” Kouyou laughs, shaking his head. “I would love for you to move in with me. Will your parents be okay with that?”  
  
Yuu rolls his eyes. “I have to tell them?”  
  
Kouyou pinched Yuu’s chubby cheeks playfully. “Honey, I don’t think they were very approving of our relationship the last time we met them. I don’t know if they’d be comfortable with you moving in with me.”  
  
Yuu sighs loudly to himself. “Do I have to tell them how good your cock feels before they approve of you?” Kouyou’s face reddens again. “Heh, I love teasing you.”  
  
“Yuu,” Kouyou chides, frowning to him. “Yuu, I think it’s better if you tell them, alright? It’d make me feel a lot better about this.”  
  
Yuu makes a sore pout. “Alright. But I’m warning you, I don’t really care what they think. So it doesn’t really matter. Just letting you know, I’m taking the right side of the bed from now on!” Kouyou laughs shortly at Yuu’s excitement.  
  
“I expect more of my apartment space to be stolen from you, then,” Kouyou teases, hugging the raven close to him. “I’m worried now.”  
  
“Mmmm, does it really matter?” Yuu snuggled up to the taller man. “I’ve already stolen your heart.”  
  
~  
  
They’re trying to remain as silent as they can, because Reina’s just in the room opposite theirs, but it’s  _so_  hard to do so, when Kouyou keeps backing Yuu up against the dressing drawers, ravaging his neck hungrily, eliciting all these soft moans that keep slipping past Yuu’s parted lips.  
  
Yuu can’t hold these noises back, not when Kouyou was currently thrusting deliciously inside of him, fucking him with such rabid enthusiasm that Yuu’s convinced this is the first sexual encounter Kouyou has had since they split up months ago. Kouyou won’t part his lips away from Yuu’s neck, and Yuu’s not surprised to feel biting on his skin again and again; Kouyou was always in love with marking Yuu, always so in love with showing the world that Yuu was taken and his and his only. Now that Kouyou had caught Yuu kissing another man, Yuu is certain that Kouyou’s driven mad with jealousy, and that he needs to give Yuu probably a hundred love bites in order to properly relinquish his anger.  
  
It’s amazing how Kouyou feels, moving inside of him, and it always makes Yuu feel like such a slut when he’s moaning and whimpering for Kouyou to fuck him harder, his thighs always squeezing around Kouyou’s waist in a desperate bid to spur him on. Kouyou always fills him so perfectly, that each time his cock draws away, Yuu’s whining in neediness, begging for his lover’s cock to thrust back in and fill him up again. Yuu’s tight, so incredibly tight around Kouyou’s cock, the pleasure that he feels is overpowering his senses, and he’s suddenly so grateful for the fact that he’d been deprived of sex for so long.  
  
“Have you let any other man fuck inside of you ever since we split?” Kouyou murmurs, his voice raspy in Yuu’s ear, and Yuu trembles immediately at how controlling his ex-lover sounds.  
  
“One,” Yuu whispers, his voice soft, and as Kouyou fucks his cock harder into Yuu at his response, Yuu’s moaning loudly, clenching his thighs tighter around Kouyou’s waist.  
  
“Just one?” Kouyou asks in a disgruntled voice, clearly displeased at Yuu’s answer. Yuu nods his head vigorously, his eyes falling to a close, his mouth parted for more moans to spill out. Kouyou drives faster and faster inside of Yuu, and the weak sob that escapes Yuu as a result of it makes Kouyou’s chest almost swell with pride.  
  
“Then I guess I’m going to have to fuck you until you’re cleansed of all of that man’s touches. I’m going to have to make you forget all of him, Yuu,” Kouyou growls, a hand moving up to Yuu’s face, tucking his hair strands gently behind his ears. Yuu nods his head, cock jolting at the sound of Kouyou’s threat, and he’s almost ashamed at how weak he still is under Kouyou’s touches, ashamed at how needy he still remains at Kouyou’s command.  
  
“Y-You… _ah_ … always m-make me,  _oh_ , forget w-who I am-m… _mmm_ , Kouyou…” Yuu’s desperate in his movements, and he quickly grabs for Kouyou’s hand, bringing it down to his own cock. He succumbs to the pleasure as Kouyou recognizes his duty, and begins thumbing the head of Yuu’s cock, skillfully stroking him in all the sensitive places he’s already learned so long ago.  
  
Yuu slides up and down against the wall, humping hotly against Kouyou’s flesh, biting his lip in a bid to control the lewd moans pouring from his lips. Reina’s only in the next room, but Yuu can’t seem to remember that, not when Kouyou’s cock was fucking him  _so_  good like this. With another few quick strokes from Kouyou’s hand wrapped around his cock, Yuu feels himself cumming into Kouyou’s rough palms, voice hoarsely screaming out Kouyou’s name at the height of his pleasure.  
  
Kouyou brings him into his arms, kissing him harder as he rides Yuu faster up and down against his cock, and as they both engage in a desperate, eager kiss, Kouyou hisses when he feels himself finally reaching his limits, and he spills promptly inside of Yuu, earning him a contented moan from the raven himself.  
  
They don’t pry their hands and lips off each other until they  _need_ to draw for breath, and by then, they’re both exhausted and sweaty and Kouyou’s carrying Yuu up into his arms, bringing the both of them to bed.  
  
Yuu collapses weakly next to him, and Kouyou’s heart flutters when he sees Yuu leaning over to nuzzle into his chest, just like how he used to do so many times before. Yuu mewls quietly for Kouyou to wrap his arms around him, and Kouyou doesn’t think twice – he’s hugging Yuu in his grasp in a moment, lips kissing Yuu’s forehead delicately, as if afraid Yuu may break.  
  
~  
  
Yuu arrives at Kouyou’s doorstep in the middle of a pouring rain.  
  
“They cut me off,” Yuu whispers, with red eyes, hot tears trickling down his pale cheeks.  
  
It’s three in the morning, and Yuu’s clothes are soaked thoroughly, leaving the raven shivering like a wet mess outside Kouyou’s apartment. Kouyou doesn’t say anything when he sees Yuu at his door, just rushes to bring him in, and get a towel to wrap Yuu around in. Yuu won’t stop crying, and Kouyou’s heart falls immediately when he dries Yuu off and realizes most of the water staining the raven’s shirt are actually from his tears itself.  
  
“My parents don’t want to see me anymore,” Yuu chokes out, with a shaky voice, his head leaning against Kouyou’s shoulder for comfort. Kouyou holds him close to him. “They told me they don’t want anything to do with me until I leave you.”  
  
Kouyou’s heart drums quickly in fear. “What did you say?” Because he can’t not see Yuu anymore, he can’t. And he knows it’s a selfish thing to feel so, when Yuu’s family relations were at stake here, but Kouyou has a feeling Yuu _is_  the one. Yuu is the  _one_  for him. And if he lost Yuu, he wouldn’t find anyone else that could ever replace him.  
  
“I told them to fuck off,” Yuu yells, still trembling, but with more indignation now. “I’m moving in with you. I guess I don’t have a family anymore.”  
  
Kouyou has never felt more relieved to hear such bad news in his life. “Yuu, we’ll do whatever it takes to make everything alright again, I promise you.”  
  
Yuu blows his nose loudly on Kouyou’s shirt. “I love you so much, Kouyou.”  
  
“Me too,” Kouyou says, smiling softly to his new roommate.  
  
~  
  
Kouyou listens to Yuu’s shallow breathing in the silence, and he wonders if Yuu can hear how fast his heart is beating in his chest. Because he knows Yuu isn’t asleep, and he knows the both of them have much to talk about. But he fears the worst of their relationship, and he fears he had gone too far, kissing Yuu and then having subsequent sex with him. But Yuu had  _wanted_ it, and the raven can’t deny that to him. Because he had felt nothing but desperation and love and lust and all the pent-up emotions they’d been hiding from each other all these while.  
  
“The man you saw me with today,” Yuu’s the first to break the silence, his voice like soft sighs in the air. “His name is Yutaka. My father set me up with him. Apparently he has a promising corporation.”  
  
Kouyou’s slightly bitter when he hears about him. “Was today your first date?”  
  
Yuu draws in a breath. “No. Third.”  
  
Kouyou goes silent, but only to make a point. It’s enough, however, because Yuu’s immediately looking up, his face concernedly gazing to Kouyou’s.  
  
“Don’t be angry,” Yuu says softly, gentle hands moving up to caress at Kouyou’s face. “I feel nothing for him. I’m only going out with him because dad wants to get his partnership on one of our Asia projects. He wants to branch out.”  
  
Kouyou frowns at the thought. “So you’ll go out with anyone as long as they help out your company and your dad tells you too?”  
  
Yuu sighs at his response. “I only accepted this one because I…” His eyes dart away. “I was feeling lonely.”  
  
Kouyou feels his heart swelling a bit. “And you didn’t think to call me?”  
  
Yuu bit his lip. “Kouyou, we’re not together anymore.”  
  
“Are we?” Kouyou asks quietly, and Yuu’s eyes fall to a close at his question.  
  
“I don’t know, Kouyou.”  
  
“We are,” Kouyou says suddenly, fear creeping into his voice, and it breaks Yuu’s heart at the sound of it. “We are together, Yuu. We are, now. So next time you’re feeling lonely, you know who to call.”  
  
Yuu momentarily pulls away from Kouyou’s embrace, upset.  
  
“Kouyou, don’t pressure me.”  
  
“I’m not pressuring you!” Kouyou snaps, angered, and it’s enough to cause all the love to disappear from Yuu’s eyes. Yuu pulls himself up from bed and turns away, wrapping his bathrobes tighter around himself.  
  
“Go.” It’s a simple word, but Yuu says it so sternly it shatters Kouyou’s hopes immediately.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Kouyou begs, and it’s shameful how easily Yuu reduces Kouyou to  _this_. “Please don’t drive me away. I love you.”  
  
“Just go, Kouyou.” Yuu hisses, still crossed, but Kouyou’s quickly embracing him from behind, kissing the side of his hair softly.  
  
“I love you,” Kouyou whispers, unwilling to let go. Yuu releases a deep sigh in response.  
  
“Give us some time, okay?” Yuu says quietly, hands reaching up to grasp at Kouyou’s hair. “I can’t promise you anything, Kouyou, but I’ll promise you I’ll give us a chance. Will you wait for me to call you?”  
  
Kouyou’s beyond relieved at his answer. “I’m fine with that, Yuu.” As long as Yuu gives him a chance. As long as Yuu promises to try and make things work.  
  
Yuu managed a weak smile. “Did you know Reina keeps a diary?”  
  
“Hmm?” Kouyou murmurs, kissing Yuu’s neck gently.  
  
“I found it under her pillow. She ends every entry everyday asking why daddy can’t live with mummy and her.” Yuu’s voice is choked up with emotion when he speaks.  
  
Kouyou’s heart tugs painfully at the thought. He’d always thought of Reina to be unusually accepting of her parents splitting, never voicing out questions about it. Apparently she was hiding those painful feelings to herself; and Kouyou was no stranger to doing that, either.  
  
“I want that so much, too, Yuu. I really do.”  
  
~  
  
It had started with a simple date to the amusement park. It was one of Yuu’s favorite places to hang out at ever since he’d stopped being able to afford better entertainment, and Kouyou brought Yuu frequently there to forget about their worries about the future and the what-ifs and the what-nots. No amusement park date was complete without a ride at the Ferris wheel, and usually they took it alone, but on a busy Saturday they were placed with two other small girls, both sisters, who were sitting on the Ferris wheel for the very first time.  
  
Kouyou hadn’t realized how good Yuu was with children until Yuu ended up bonding with the two six-year-old girls and having a blast with them the whole time. Their names were Yuki and Miki, and Yuu spent the whole of the Ferris wheel ride playing with them and answering all of their questions.  
  
‘Why are you holding the other man’s hand? Is he your boyfriend?’  
  
‘Do you two have children too?’  
  
‘Are you mummies and daddies like our mummy and daddy?’  
  
By the end of the Ferris wheel ride, it was obvious that Yuu was head over heels in love with them. And when Yuu had to say goodbye unwillingly to them, Kouyou had to remind Yuu that no, he  _wasn’t_  their actual mother, and that Yuu couldn’t bring them home. Yuu eventually tearfully parted ways with them and clutched Kouyou’s arm all the way home with a big pout, upset at the idea of ever leaving the two adorable little children.  
  
“I’m so jealous of their mother!” Yuu whined, when they returned to their apartment, back to their ‘sad lonely little life’ as Yuu so termed it. “Why can’t we have children too? Can we have children, Kouyou?”  
  
Kouyou smiles and shakes his head to the raven. “Yuu, we’re barely managing our finances. Children are out of the question. Besides, I want us to get married first anyway.”  
  
His words silence Yuu instantly. “What?”  
  
Kouyou’s nervous quickly, wondering if he had said anything wrong. “Um… I just thought it’d be better if we got married first before we had any kids.”  
  
Yuu looks up to him, a playful smile on his lips.  
  
“You’ve already thought about marrying me?”  
  
Kouyou’s face flushes pink. Was that anything wrong? Was it too soon for him to be having such thoughts? Would Yuu start to think he was a freak?  
  
“Um. I did.”  
  
Yuu beams proudly at his words. “Even if I can’t cook? Even if I almost burned down our kitchen yesterday?”  
  
Kouyou chuckles to him. “Yuu, you could burn my hand off and I would still marry you.”  
  
“Awww,” Yuu quickly runs to Kouyou, circling his arms around Kouyou’s neck, jumping up to plant a kiss against his lips. “…But who says I’ll still marry you then? I don't want a husband with only one hand.” Kouyou narrows his eyes to Yuu instantly. “Just kidding! I love you.” Yuu giggles, planting another kiss against Kouyou’s cheek. “When we have children, do you want a girl or a boy? Just  _saying_ , I want a girl.”  
  
Kouyou laughs in response. “Then we’ll have a girl. I’ll love any child that becomes ours, Yuu.”  
  
“Okay! Then it’s settled.” Yuu grins. “We’re going to get married, and then we’ll have a girl. We’re on a roll!”  
  
Kouyou laughs harder. “Yuu,  _please_. That’s not going to happen anytime soon. Not until both of us have saved up enough, okay?”  
  
Yuu sulks immediately. “Okay. Fine, party-pooper.”  
  
“Mmmm, I’m  _your_  party-pooper,” Kouyou murmurs, carrying Yuu up into his arms, heading for the bedroom with lustful intentions in mind. “And  _you’re_ my beautiful soon-to-be wife.”  
  
~  
  
“Daddy!”  
  
And then a loud  _plop_. Reina dives into the bed, excited at the sight of her father lying next to her mother, his arms wrapped around Yuu lovingly like they had never once left him.  
  
Reina has dressed herself up neatly for school, and she’s already wearing her school uniform; but her hair is still left untied, waiting for Yuu to get up and tie them into the usual braids Reina usually wears to school. Usually, Yuu would be long up by now, but last night has exhausted him thoroughly, and the raven-haired is still lying in bed, softly snoring in Kouyou’s arms. Kouyou has no heart to wake the raven up.  
  
“Daddy, why are you in mummy’s bed? Are you living here again?” Reina’s anxiously asking, her eyes gleaming up hopefully to Kouyou’s ones. Kouyou ignores the frantic ache of his heart, and shakes his head, looking to Reina with a small smile.  
  
“Honey, I’m going to need you to be quiet, okay? Mummy’s really tired, and I don’t want you to be waking him up,” Kouyou whispers, sighing in bliss as he looks to the raven. “Let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll make you some breakfast.”  
  
“Okay, daddy!” Reina exclaims, beyond pleased at the sight of her father here. Kouyou quickly gets up from the bed, thankful he had decided to at least wear some pants before going to sleep last night, and brings Reina out of the room into the kitchen, hand-in-hand, chuckling at her as she skips happily in her steps to whilst walking.  
  
“Honey, can you tie your hair up by yourself or do you need me to help you?” Kouyou asks, seating Reina down around the kitchen table as he maneuvers around the kitchen for some cereal. Having lived with Reina and Yuu for four years before they split, he was already accustomed to her breakfast eating habits, and it wasn’t hard for him to easily whip up her usual breakfast for her.  
  
“I can tie my hair up into ponytails. But they won’t look as pretty as the braids mummy always ties my hair into.” Reina pouts, visibly disappointed.  
  
Kouyou laughs at that, pouring milk into a bowl of cereal for her. “Well, honey, I don’t think mummy can tie your usual braids today, okay? Mummy’s tired. I’ll bring you to school later, instead of mummy, okay?” When he has prepared a glass of ovaltine and a bowl of cereal for her, he places them down onto the kitchen table, watching as Reina eagerly reaches for it.  
  
“I miss it when daddy used to bring me to school! I don’t mind it!” Reina says, quickly gulping spoonfuls of cereal down her throat.  
  
“Sweetie, what did I say about talking while you’re eating?” Yuu’s voice floats down the hallway, nearing to the kitchen, and when he finally enters, Kouyou can’t take his eyes off the way Yuu’s currently brushing his disheveled hair, yawning to himself as he walks in with his silky bathrobes.  
  
“Babe, you can go back to sleep. I’ll bring Reina to school for you,” Kouyou hastily says, smiling gently to the raven. Yuu sighs in response.  
  
“No, it’s okay. It’s my job. Reina dear, come to mummy after breakfast. I’ll tie your hair for you.”  
  
“Daddy says you’re tired and you should go back to sleep,” Reina says, silently protesting, looking to Kouyou for encouragement. Kouyou smiles, knowing his daughter was standing on his side. “I don’t want mummy to be tired.”  
  
Yuu narrows his eyes to Kouyou, half-amused at their daughter’s display of loyalty to Kouyou. “Did daddy put a magic spell on you or what, Reina?”  
  
“No, I love daddy, and I want him to stay here.” Reina says, grinning gleefully to Kouyou. “Maybe if I’m good, daddy will stay longer. Do you think he will, mummy?”  
  
Yuu gazes to her, his face instantly conflicted. Kouyou senses Yuu’s discomfort, and immediately interjects, though his heart is beating rapidly all the same, wondering what Yuu’s answer was to that question.  
  
“Honey, mummy needs to go back to sleep. I’ll be wherever you want, I promise you, Reina,” Kouyou cooes, lowering his head to Reina’s so as to kiss her forehead gently. Yuu smiles fondly at the sight.  
  
“I’ll pick you up later at school, Reina,” Yuu says simply, then turns away, prepared to return to his room. Kouyou quickly leaves Reina’s side and rushes after the raven, reaching for Yuu’s arm in the hallway.  
  
“Wait,” Kouyou breathes, spinning Yuu around, catching him off-guard. Yuu looks to him, confused, until Kouyou leans in and locks their lips into a soft kiss once more. Kouyou withdraws a second later, sheepishly grinning at the gesture.  
  
“Will you call me?” He asks, hand gently cupping the side of Yuu’s face.  
  
Yuu smiles to him softly. “I promise.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is written in a way that it's **their past / present situation / their past / present situation** , so don't get too confused!

Kouyou had it all planned out. He would take Yuu to a nice date in one of his favorite restaurants, order Yuu’s favorite wine for him to drink, and then he would get the waiter to deliver a huge bouquet of flowers that Kouyou had specially arranged for Yuu, spelled out in red roses –  _WILL YOU MARRY ME?_  – along with a dazzling, shining ring Kouyou had carefully picked out for him. It was a modest, but beautiful ring, and Kouyou was certain Yuu would fall in love with it as quickly as he did with it.  
  
When the time came, and the bouquet of flowers was delivered, and Kouyou had gotten down on one knee, Yuu had been too moved to tears to speak, cupping both hands over his mouth, shocked to the core. The chandelier lights above them reflected off Yuu’s gleaming hair and his dark, twinkling eyes were stunning when contrasted with the red décor in the room. Kouyou wonders how he got so lucky.  
  
“Yuu, when I first met you three years ago, I thought you were the most gorgeous person I’d ever seen. And now, looking at you, I think to myself, I’m wrong. Because you’re not only the most gorgeous person I have ever seen. You are the sweetest, most sensitive, most caring and most beautiful – in every aspect possible – and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I never ever want to leave your side.” Kouyou says, a faint smile on his face, watching as glistening tears of joy slipped down Yuu’s face as he spoke. He pauses for a moment, if only to open the velvet ring box he held in hand, revealing the jewel in all its beauty. “Shiroyama Yuu, will you marry me?”  
  
Yuu can’t even speak. He’s nodding his head eagerly, holding back his sobs to himself, extending a pale hand out for Kouyou to hold. Kouyou grins, taking Yuu’s hand into his, and carefully slips the two-carat ring onto Yuu’s finger. When he’s done, and the waiters around them are clapping and cheering in joy, Yuu’s so happy he’s standing up from his seat immediately, waiting for Kouyou to get up – before jumping onto him and hugging him tightly into a firm embrace.  
  
“I love you, you big idiot,” Yuu snivels, smiling as he hears Kouyou’s laughs. “I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming. It was so obvious.  _I’m_ an idiot. Maybe that’s why you’re marrying me. So we can be dumb together.”  
  
“Do you even hear yourself speaking right now?” Kouyou says, chuckling, but he’s relishing in Yuu’s embrace all the same. “I have never loved anyone else more than you, Yuu. I’m so happy you said yes.”  
  
“Technically,” Yuu rubs at his eyes. “I didn’t  _say_  yes, I just nodded, so I can still back out of it.” He hugged Kouyou tighter at that. “But I won’t. Your sorry ass is stuck with me for life, sorry mister. I would pity you, but I’m too busy being engaged.  _Sorry_.”  
  
Kouyou laughs, then pulled away, only to kiss Yuu softly on the lips. “You’re going to be so beautiful on our wedding day, Yuu. I can see it already.”  
  
~  
  
It has been three days, and Yuu still hasn’t called him yet. Kouyou’s growing increasingly anxious, and whenever his phone rings, he never lets it be idle for more than two seconds without picking it up. He hasn’t heard back from Yuu, and every night it  _kills_  him to think that Yuu might have just changed his mind along the way. Kouyou would give everything for that not to happen; Kouyou would give everything for Yuu to be back in his arms again, kissing him and whispering out his name back to him.  
  
Meanwhile, Kouyou busies himself with work at the flower shop, arranging bouquets for boyfriends or husbands who enter in each day, wanting to purchase a lovely surprise for their partner. Kouyou finds himself envying the happy smiles on their faces, and he finds himself looking every now and then to his phone, waiting for a phone call that  _clearly_ wasn’t coming anytime soon. It almost makes him dejected, and he wonders if he should call Yuu instead, just incase it slipped the raven’s mind to do so.  
  
But that couldn’t be, right? It couldn’t, especially not when Kouyou had made it clear he wanted Yuu to give them another chance so bad. Yuu couldn’t disappoint him like this. Yuu couldn’t disappoint  _Reina_  like this.  
  
He had just been arranging a bouquet of lilies when his phone rang finally that afternoon, and when it was Yuu’s name showing up on his screen he’d been so excited he almost dropped the phone. By the time he gets to  _actually_ answering the phone, Kouyou’s almost out of breath.  
  
“Yuu?” Kouyou asks, unable to hide the smile currently spreading on his lips.  
  
“Hey, Kou,” Yuu says, hesitantly, and Kouyou’s slightly worried over that. “I’m really sorry, but I have work tonight. Could you help me pick up Reina at school? This time I left the keys under the doormat.”  
  
Kouyou has never felt heartbreak harder than this. “W-What?”  
  
“I’m sorry, Kou,” Yuu sighs, almost like he’s sincerely guilty. “I promise this time it’s really work. I have a couple of ten dollar bills on the kitchen counter, you can use it to get you and Reina some dinner–”  
  
“ _What_?” Kouyou repeats, this time more angry than upset. “You call me to get me to occupy Reina once more because you’re too busy to do your job as a mother?”  
  
Yuu snaps at him instantly. “What do you want from me?  _I’m_  the one working for the both of us!”  
  
Kouyou’s too disillusioned to speak. Still, though he’s clenching his throat together and holding back warm tears, he tries to sound as calm and steady as possible.  
  
“You said you would call me.”  
  
Yuu breathes sharply at the other end.  
  
“Is that what this is all about? You’re angry at me because I haven’t asked you out on a  _date_?”  
  
Kouyou hates how Yuu does this constantly – makes him feel like  _shit_  for having feelings the way he does. “You don’t call me for three days, and when you do, you’re telling me to pick up our daughter up from school because you’re too  _busy_. How am I so sure you’re not fucking some other man on the other end?”  
  
“I can’t believe you!” Yuu yells over the phone, angered at the thought. “You really think I’m some slut, don’t you?”  
  
“How can I trust you?!” Kouyou barks back. “You go out with men just to elevate your fucking company’s status!”  
  
The phone goes so silent for a while that Kouyou’s almost afraid Yuu has hung up on him.  
  
“We’ll go out,” Yuu says quietly. “Tomorrow night. I’ll meet you at your workplace around 7 after I drop Reina off at my mother’s. But for today, will you  _please_  take care of Reina for me? I can’t bring her home.”  
  
Kouyou’s heart throbs at Yuu’s words. “You really promise this time?”  
  
“Yes,” Yuu sighs.  
  
~  
  
Their wedding is a private affair. All his life, Yuu had thought he would eventually be getting married at a grand chapel or ballroom, to an audience of perhaps a thousand people, given his family’s status and wealth; and he’d never thought he would be having his wedding on the beach, in just the company of an officiant and his soon-to-be husband. Yuu had long ditched his old lifestyle, along with his backstabbing best friends and unforgiving parents, and Kouyou’s own parents had passed on long ago, so the both of them hadn’t seen a need to invite anyone to their special ceremony.  
  
Kouyou bought tickets one weekend, flew both Yuu and him out to a beautiful island in Italy, and organized a week-long private getaway for them to enjoy. They got married by the sea at nighttime, with Kouyou donning a black tuxedo and Yuu, a white one, along with a matching wedding veil.  
  
Yuu is absolutely breathtaking when Kouyou first sees him under the moonlight, with his raven hair brushed neatly to the side, his pretty clandestine eyes shimmering in the darkness. Yuu had even taken the liberty to put on some make-up; dark eyeliner accentuating his alluring eyes, along with sweet pink lip-gloss tainting his otherwise rosy lips. When Yuu eventually looks up to Kouyou under the white veil and says a soft “I do”, Kouyou’s heart does a double take at the sight of his pretty blushing bride, smiling and ready to be taken as his dearly beloved wife.  
  
“I do,” Kouyou blurts out, without thinking, though he isn’t even sure if the officiant has even asked him the correct question yet. Yuu’s quietly giggling at his husband’s eagerness, and when it finally comes to the time for Kouyou to lift his veil, Kouyou pulls it over Yuu’s head, face gently caressing at the cheeks of the raven’s gorgeously made up face. He takes a moment to simply bask in the sight of Yuu, as his newly wedded wife, his flushing bride; his heart pounding wildly at the knowledge that Yuu was his, and his forever, to claim.  
  
“Kiss me already, idiot,” Yuu pouted, after what seemed like an eternity of staring from Kouyou, and it made Kouyou laugh, before finally bending over to press his lips softly against the raven’s ones.  
  
They kiss gently, passionately, until Kouyou decides to carry Yuu into his arms, legitimately bridal-style, twirling him around in newfound happiness. Yuu has to hide his face away, embarrassed at his now-husband’s dorky enthusiasm, but he doesn’t complain so much when Kouyou brings him back to their hotel room, unable to keep his hands and lips off the raven, giving Yuu the best wedding present of that night yet.  
  
~  
  
“I’m going on a date with my ex-wife today,” Kouyou says, happily announcing to his co-workers in the shop, to which they just laugh and shake their heads to him in response. They’ve always known of Kouyou’s love and dedication to Yuu, right from the very start, and it’s not uncommon to be able to deduce Yuu as the reason why Kouyou’s particularly moody or cheerful on a certain day. Kouyou had lost his zealous enthusiasm ever since he and Yuu had gotten their divorce a few months back, but Kouyou’s hoping tonight might be the new start of things. And he swears to god, if he ever gets the opportunity to be able to embrace Yuu again, he won’t ever fuck it up. Not anymore. Not this time.  
  
Kouyou goes about the rest of his day in high spirits, dedicating a large portion of his time to arranging a beautiful bouquet of Yuu’s favorite flowers to be presented to him later. During the course of their relationship, Yuu had always loved to be pleasantly surprised by Kouyou’s bouquets, always saying Kouyou was the most thoughtful man he’d ever dated in his life. Kouyou hopes with all his heart Yuu still feels the same about him.  
  
Kouyou looks at his watch fifty times in an hour, counting down to the time he could get to see Yuu again, and when there’s only five minutes left to seven o’clock, Kouyou stands promptly near the front of the shop, eyes diverting every now and then to the entrance, awaiting Yuu’s appearance.  
  
Kouyou’s busy pretending to be immersed in the arranging of his flowers when he hears the familiar clocking of Yuu’s boots, wandering hesitantly into the flower shop.  
  
“Kouyou?” Yuu calls out, and it takes all of Kouyou not to run to him and kiss him. Kouyou turns his head quickly to Yuu, looking at the raven-haired who was dressed in his usual work clothes, smiling lightly to the florist. Kouyou’s quickly grabbing for the bouquet of flowers he has prepared for Yuu, gifting it to the raven as Yuu walks over to him.  
  
“This is for you,” Kouyou says shyly, looking to Yuu’s face uncertainly, hoping he would appreciate the flowers. Yuu’s gaze softens at the sight of Kouyou’s gift for him, and he’s hastily accepting the flowers, bringing them to his nose and inhaling their sweet scent. The small smile that erupts on Yuu’s face right after is all it takes to make Kouyou’s day and all his time devoted to preparing the bouquet worth it; and Kouyou is instantly grinning, beaming at the knowledge that he had made Yuu happy.  
  
“You didn’t have to, Kou,” Yuu says, still smiling gently towards the florist.  
  
Kouyou shakes his head. “I like giving you flowers. I like seeing you happy.”  
  
Yuu chuckles at Kouyou’s sensitivity. “You always were such a sweet-talker. Should we go and have dinner now?”  
  
Kouyou nods, eager, and as they both head out of the shop, Kouyou wonders how subtle he can be in holding Yuu’s hand into his as they walked. As Kouyou slips his palm into Yuu’s one and gently intertwines their fingers together, pretending to be distracted by the sights around them, Yuu’s silently smiling to himself, allowing Kouyou to simply hold his hand without a word. Kouyou was always so brash, and so transparent. And suddenly, looking to Kouyou like this, Yuu doesn’t know how he ever left him.  
  
They settle on dining at a restaurant located at a street nearby, one of the few places they used to frequent a lot back where Yuu and Kouyou dined often after Kouyou ended work. It’s strange now, coming back to their old haunt where they used to spend so much time together as lovers. Kouyou can only remember faint memories of a younger Yuu, giggling and laughing at everything Kouyou used to tell him. They would kiss and hug and Yuu’s head wouldn’t ever leave Kouyou’s shoulders.  
  
And now here they were, walking a foot apart, hands locked uncertainly with each other.  
  
The waitress shows them to a nice table by the window, and Kouyou makes sure to pull out Yuu’s chair for him before he has a chance to, earning him another smile from the raven himself. Kouyou wonders if it’s too obvious that he’s trying too hard to impress, but since Yuu keeps chuckling at his antics, Kouyou hopes the raven at least enjoys his efforts so far.  
  
Yuu picks up the menu and scans through it, quickly deciding on a dish, and Kouyou follows suit, agreeing to have whatever Yuu’s having. When their order has been taken and their menus are finally taken away and glasses of water are served to them, Kouyou’s clearing his throat as he looks to Yuu, wondering how their date will advance. He knows he might not get another opportunity like this if he angers Yuu –  _again_ , just like what he’s been doing the past few days – he isn’t sure if Yuu will ever ask him out again, and Kouyou doesn’t want to ever take that risk.  
  
So as he gazes up to Yuu, he’s silently admiring the raven’s glimmering eyes, wondering what he has to do to be able to see them again.  
  
“Reina’s really looking forward to seeing you again,” Yuu says casually, looking back amusedly into Kouyou’s eyes. “She’s been waking me up the past few mornings asking me why daddy isn’t in bed with me. She gets so disappointed when she sees me alone. I’m almost offended.”  
  
Kouyou’s heart lifts at the thought. “I guess we spoilt her, huh?” And he says this with an accompanying laugh, all the while looking to Yuu for confirmation that what he said was  _indeed_  funny. Yuu just smiles and shakes his head, warming Kouyou’s heart instantly.  
  
“Reina really loves her father,” Yuu says softly, his gaze falling against the table. It almost feels like there are words unsaid, but Yuu doesn’t continue speaking, and just leaves them hanging there in the silence.  
  
“What about her mother?” Kouyou’s asking quietly, his heart thudding loudly in his chest. “Does her mother love me too?”  
  
Yuu inhales sharply, gazing back up to Kouyou with hesitant eyes. “Kouyou–”  
  
“I know I shouldn’t have asked that, I’m sorry.” Kouyou interjects, his smile falling. “But I just want to know if this will go anywhere. If  _we_  will go anywhere. Because I really want us to, Yuu. I pray for it every night with my whole heart.”  
  
Yuu’s voice is troubled when he responds. “Kouyou, I’m not going to lie to you. I want Reina to have a whole family, too. And I don’t want to bring in a random stranger, if I ever re-marry, and make her call him her father, when we both know you’re her only father. Reina loves you so much, and I don’t want to ever have to do that to her. I love our daughter.” And Yuu’s voice is dry when he says that, and Kouyou fears Yuu will dissolve into tears. Because it’s been so long since he’s seen Yuu weaken like this in front of him, and it breaks his heart, wholesomely, entirely, and Kouyou doesn’t want to see Yuu so shattered like this.  
  
Because even though Yuu isn’t the person he used to be anymore, Yuu has grown into a mature, strong person, and Kouyou is proud of how far Yuu has come, of the businessperson Yuu has become, of the independent mother Yuu is to Reina. And though Kouyou misses the days of Yuu depending on Kouyou entirely, he likes the fact that Yuu is his own person now, and is the kind of person Reina can look up to and idolize. Kouyou knows that partly the reason why Yuu has left him is because Kouyou isn’t needed anymore in his life, when Yuu has everything else, but Kouyou can swallow that fact down, only if Yuu doesn’t ever cry like this.  
  
But Yuu’s furiously looking out of the window, and Kouyou can hear Yuu’s heart audibly breaking in the silence. And Kouyou’s immediately reaching for Yuu’s hands and taking them into his own, kissing Yuu’s fingertips softly as a source of comfort.  
  
“I love Reina so much too, Yuu. And I don’t want her to have to constantly alternate between my apartment and yours, just because her parents have issues together. Because we  _don’t_  need to have issues, don’t you see? Yuu, if you’ll let us have a complete family again, I promise I’ll do anything and everything for you in exchange. Because Reina doesn’t deserve a broken family. And  _I_ don’t deserve it. And  _you_ , especially. You don’t deserve to be alone like this.”  
  
“Kouyou–” Yuu’s eyes are moist when he glances over to Kouyou, and Kouyou’s instantly hushing the raven, clutching Yuu’s hands tightly in his hold. “Kouyou, I don’t know what to do. I miss you – even when I hate you – and I can’t seem to decide on what I feel. And it’s awful, seeing you treat me like this, because I know you’re doing everything in your efforts to try and save this relationship. And I want to try, too, but I can’t– I–”  
  
Kouyou’s kissing Yuu’s hands gently once more, returning a forced smile back to him. “Look, Yuu, I know a lot of things have changed over the past few years. And I know your parents are back in your life again, and I know they never will approve of me. But don’t you see? We’ve been fighting ever since they re-entered our lives, and we’ve been fighting ever since they tried to take Reina away from me. From  _us_. And I know they tell you a lot of things, about how you’re better off with someone else, about how you should be dating someone in your league, but… but I’ve known from the start that you were the one. And I know you feel it, too. You feel it, and that’s why you kissed me back that day, and that’s why you’re conflicted. Because you still love me, and you want to go against your will to be together with me. Because you want it. And Reina, too.”  
  
Yuu blinks his tears away and slowly flutters his eyes to a close. “But I’m able to give Reina such a good life now. And if they cut me off financially again, Kou, I can’t buy her the pretty dresses she wants anymore. And she’ll be so upset if I don’t get her that latest dollhouse. And–”  
  
Kouyou cuts Yuu short with his laugh. “Yuu, you really don’t know what your daughter wants, do you?”  
  
Yuu’s momentarily disoriented. “I don’t understand–”  
  
“All she ever talks about with me is how you spend your time with her. And she tells me all about how you taught her how to make simple toast, or tie her hair into a fancy ponytail. She talks about how intelligent you are, and how you’re always teaching her everything she knows. And she says when she grows up, she wants to be just like you, someone who knows how to do everything. Well, except, cooking, but.” Kouyou gently smiles to Yuu as he speaks. “She loves you for who you are, not for what you give her. And she says you’re the most beautiful mummy in the universe. And I’m inclined to agree.”  
  
Yuu’s smiling so hard in response to Kouyou’s words, tears clouding his vision once more. “She really said all of that?”  
  
“Yuu, trust me,” Kouyou says, his voice lowered, his gaze more serious. “Even if your parents cut you off again, we’ll survive. That’s what we’ve always been doing, hasn’t it? We did it once, and we’ll do it again. Because what’s important is us, being together, and not how big the apartment we’re staying in is, Yuu.”  
  
Yuu looks to him with hope in his eyes. “You really think that?”  
  
“I love you, so, so much,” Kouyou murmurs. “And you don’t know how hard it is to sleep every night, just thinking about you and Reina being away from me. I have nothing to live for without the both of you, Yuu. At least you have Reina; because when she’s gone from my apartment, I don’t have anything else. At this point in time I rather we live on the streets and be together, than be separated like this. It’s too painful, for all of us.”  
  
Yuu bites his lip at his words. “Kouyou, you remember the time we picked Reina up from the orphanage to bring her home?”  
  
Kouyou briefly smiles at the memory. “Yeah, why?”  
  
Yuu returns his smile. “Do you still remember what we said to her?”  
  
~  
  
“She’s perfect! She’s  _perfect_ , she’s the one, I can’t believe we found her!” Yuu’s beyond elated as he speaks, holding the four-year-old girl up into his arms, laughing as he watches her stare wide-eyed back to him curiously. “She’s so beautiful. She’s going to grow into such a beautiful girl. I can’t wait, Kouyou. She’s going to be our little girl.”  
  
Kouyou laughs in response, smiling warmly at the sight of Yuu being so in love with their newly acquired daughter. They had spent months at orphanage after orphanage, looking at children after children, trying to find the  _one_  as their perfect child. Yuu had always wanted a girl, but they’d no luck nor chemistry so far with any of the young girls they met, though that only strengthened Yuu’s perseverance to find their eventual daughter.  
  
Kouyou eventually found an orphanage a town away from their city, and driven Yuu to it in hopes of finding a child to their liking. It was fate then that led them to a young, bright-eyed toddler, who had at first been silently flipping a picture book in the corner of the orphanage’s playroom, looking extremely engrossed into the book she was reading. Kouyou had taken one glance at her, got reminded of Yuu instantly, and brought Yuu to see her, who thankfully fell in love with her at first sight as well. She was all Yuu and Kouyou ever wanted, and there was no particular reason for it – nothing, just the feeling of needing to make her  _theirs_  and give her the family she deserves.  
  
After another few intense months of clearing their paperwork, they were finally free to bring her home, and Kouyou and Yuu decided on a name for her –  _Reina_ – which meant purity, something they were reminded of each time they lay eyes upon her. Because being with Reina also meant a fresh, clean start, having finally achieved the perfect family they always wanted.  
  
“From now on, I’ll be your mummy,” Yuu cooes happily to the four-year-old Reina in his arms, nose nuzzling cutely against hers. Kouyou’s heart tugs at the sight, finding it overly adorable that Yuu couldn’t get enough of their daughter already. “And this man over here, will be your daddy. Say hi daddy!” Yuu brings Reina’s hand up to wave shortly at Kouyou. Reina looks to the both of them, still shy and quiet, but she’s snuggling into Yuu’s arms all the same, looking rather comforted at the sight of her new parents.  
  
“We’ll never let you down, Reina, I promise,” Yuu says, kissing the side of Reina’s head. “Mummy and Daddy will always love you and be with you. We’ll give you a perfect family and make you the happiest child on earth. Mummy loves you so, so much.”  
  
Kouyou grins uncontrollably in response, moving in closer to warmly embrace both Yuu and his new daughter.  
  
“Reina, Daddy promises he’ll always take care of both you and mummy,” Kouyou says gently, reaching over to kiss at Reina’s forehead. “And he’ll do everything he can to make sure you and mummy will always be happy. Daddy loves you both so, so much, he promises.”  
  
~  
  
Yuu and Kouyou turn up at the raven’s mother’s doorstep later that night, luggage bags packed in hand, a warm smile plastered on both their faces.  
  
“We’re here to pick up Reina,” Yuu begins, firmly, resolutely, as Kouyou wraps his arms around the raven’s waist, holding him protectively and lovingly in his grasp. “Mother, we’re moving back into Kouyou’s apartment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked writing this story ;~; I had this idea in my head for quite a long time but I wasn't quite sure if I could convey it accurately in my writing. I hope I did my idea justice :/ (though probably I'm the only gauge of that) I loved the idea of Yuu and Kouyou being mummy and daddy so much. And Kouyou being a florist. <3
> 
> I hope whoever read this enjoyed it! *A* Also I don't really wanna post multi-chaptered fics without completing them anymore~ I take forever to update and get lazy to finish stories that way. So :3
> 
> This feels less fluffy than all my other fics but. Angst is also my forté, I just haven't been writing it as much as fluffy/smut fics, okay :( :( :( I wanted to write an angsty/deeper piece for quite a long while now, so I'm quite happy writing this out~ I know I didn't go into detail about why Kouyou and Yuu split, but my idea for it went a little like this ~> a few years after Kouyou and Yuu got Reina, Yuu's parents re-entered their lives and got closer to Yuu again, wanting to be involved in their family and to know their grandchild. In the process, their disdain for Kouyou probably influenced Yuu, I guess. And it caused alot of fights between Kouyou and Yuu. Kouyou never wanted to leave Yuu but I guess Yuu's parents convinced Yuu to get a divorce with Kouyou :~D because they are shitty parents.
> 
> Also sorry for emo Kouyou, I love writing emo Kouyou too much if you can't tell already, whoops.
> 
> Please comment if you enjoyed this~! It really motivates me as an author to continue writing~ <3


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